Dirty Games
by DEATHmuse
Summary: Both players are unwilling to lose and will stop at nothing to get what they want. Rufus/Reno. WIP.
1. Return

**Disclaimer: **I do not know own Final Fantasy VII, or anything else related to the game.

**Author's Note: **Just a warning that this is male/male. Inspired by UNKLE's "Hold My Hand." Enjoy.

--

**Dirty Games**

That deceptive little _fucker_.

Reno's steps were quick and loud as he trudged outside the Shinra Corporation building to smoke a cigarette. Once leaned against a wall, he swiftly flicked his lighter up to the cigarette already in his mouth and took a drag when it was lit. Harmful, yes -- but the dangerous habit had its uses, especially when one was suffering from an insane amount of aggravation as Reno was at the moment.

The little _fucking_ brat...

Well, that's not fair, he thought. Reno could easily blame himself for ending up in this shit predicament... Then again, was it really his fault that the goddamn President got himself stabbed, and that his little tyrant of a son took over the company?

Reno chuckled. Whoever said that the former President and his son, Rufus Shinra, were two completely different people wasn't kidding.

Rufus... well... He didn't bullshit, and didn't take anyone else's, either. It was why the kid managed to fire over 15 employees before his welcoming ceremony even took place.

And of course, by "fire," Reno meant, "execute."

Rufus always had a way of working hand-in-hand with fear, Reno observed. It was the guy's motto, after all, to control people with terror. And he exemplified the emotion well. His eyes were cold, calculating, and cruel. He was always dressed in white in hopes to appear far bigger than he was, and Reno realized just then that he had never seen a true smile appear on the boy's face.

To be honest, the Turk admired those traits about Rufus and always had. The kid made people squirm. It was... entertaining, the dirty games he played.

Reno exhaled the smoke slowly. At least until you're the one being played.

With Rufus busy "firing" people left and right, Reno became a little... careless. I mean, Rufus couldn't possibly kill a Turk, yeah? They were his damn protection. And the kid's paranoia was evident in his demand for always having at least one guard by his side at all times.

So Reno got hurt occasionally and needed some extra painkillers sometimes. Big deal. If the former President knew anything of it, he certainly didn't mind. For some strange reason, the big man felt Reno had already proved his loyalty and skills to his beloved company.

He did, after all, bring the plate down on Sector 7, a plan suggested by the former President's malicious little son.

Reno would have thought that would have given him a little respect. Plus, he did wind up getting his ass kicked by Cloud and his little friends; so a few stolen meds from Hojo's lab didn't seem to be such a heinous crime.

But oh, Rufus loved to play…

Reno dropped his cigarette on the floor and put it out with his heel, then quickly lit another one.

He was just a damn kid, Reno thought. Yet he possessed the ability to crush you like a bug if he wanted to. One knowing gaze, a smirk on the blonde's lips, and spoken implications were enough for Reno to determine that Rufus knew about his little late night break-ins. And while Reno knew Rufus wouldn't necessarily "fire" him, the kid could always let the information slip, and if Hojo ever found out...

...Well, Reno didn't want to be his next test subject.

"Damn it," the redhead muttered, clenching his fist and slamming it against the wall behind him. Rufus, of course, would have never brought it up if he weren't planning on doing something with the information. Rufus' moves are precise and planned way ahead, before anyone could even begin to speculate.

To make matters worse, the new President had just recently hired Elena. Was she a replacement? Reno swallowed. Had he already told Hojo then? Were they up there in his office, discussing Reno's fate right now?

"Damn it!" Reno said in a more agitated tone. Rufus was already getting to him. He was being played excellently, and he fucking hated it.

He would _not_ lose to a kid.

That was all he was. A _fucking_ kid. A kid that played dirty, dirty games.

Well, Reno wasn't going to lose.

It wasn't hard for the Turk to determine that Rufus discovered his secret through observing surveillance tapes. Hell, that was how he was getting away with laying people off these days. So Reno only assumed he kept these tapes somewhere close...

He had to get into the new President's apartment.

And unfortunately for Rufus Shinra, Reno knew his weakness, and had known about it for quite a while.

Reno had noticed the blonde's furtive glances, and how he'd manage to look just in time to see Rufus turn away. His stern demeanor always seemed to be a little... off, when Reno was around. At least, he spoke differently to Rude and Tseng than he did with the redhead.

It was in the eyes, the Turk determined. Always cold, yet there was always something else stirring in them...

Reno noticed.

He smirked. The boy would be too easy to take, and Reno would be free from this little mess Rufus was threatening him with, free from the punk's little game.

Yeah. Like taking candy from a kid.

Na, na-na, na.

Reno put out his cigarette again, and with a more confident air about him, strolled back into Shinra Headquarters.

--

"Sir," Reno greeted, walking up to the new President as he was leaving his office. "Just thought ya'd need company walking back to yer apartment."

"Reno," the blonde acknowledged, appearing undisturbed with the way Reno snuck up on him. "I would have assumed you'd be more interested in other parts of the Shinra building." He took that moment to look down and pick off imaginary lint off his immaculate white coat, and therefore, didn't see the flash of rage flicker in Reno's face.

Dirty little...

"Nah, sir," Reno managed to reply. "Protectin' you is my job, you know that." Reno followed behind Rufus as they made their way to the elevator.

Was Reno really going to do this? Fleeting reluctance passed before Reno spoke again.

"And I know ya like havin' me around."

"Is that what you think," Rufus mused in a rather dull tone, but there was no mistaking the moment's hesitation, and if Reno were looking, he was sure he would have seen shock in the cold blue irises for a split-second.

Gotcha.

Now Reno knew how unwise it was to continue with his plan, but he was still uncertain about Rufus' next moves. Besides, wasn't he a dead man already?

Might as well have a little fun.

"While I admit your presence is rather entertaining, I'm sure there are far more interesting people to pester in this building… Secretaries, chairmen… scientists…"

"But, sir," Reno began, and, very sure he was digging his own grave at this point, decided to lean towards the blonde and murmur, "No one here's got pretty blue eyes like you."

Rufus locked eyes with the Turk who was dangerously close and didn't say anything for a while. The elevator rang, announcing that they reached their level and promptly opened its doors for the two men.

"I'm flattered," he finally said.

"Ya should be."

Before Reno could advance further, Rufus darted out of the elevator and into the hallway, almost leaving Reno behind. The redhead quickly leaped out before the doors closed and chased after him.

"As much as you think I enjoy having you around, Reno, I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you."

Reno slowed his steps as his mind raced to find the right thing to say. "Sir, I..."

"I'm sure you'll find a way to, ah, ease the pain," Rufus said. He had his back turned as he unlocked his apartment door and turned around to look at Reno. There was no trace of anything in the blue, but Reno knew he was attempting to determine what the Turk would do next.

The kid wanted to play, then. Reno could agree to that.

"Rufus," Reno said quietly, placing his hands against the door and trapping the blonde between his arms

"That's 'Sir'--"

But Reno absolutely refused to let him have the last word. So maybe having his own lips placed against the President's might shut him up. So Reno did just that, and once he pulled away, he gave Rufus, who finally showed an obvious expression of surprise, a wolfish grin.

"Let me in, yeah?"

--

A tinge of uneasiness fell on the redhead as he made his way towards Rufus' couch. Was he really going to go through with this? He was really going to... well, seduce the President?

Fuck, this was crazy.

Reno's gaze flickered up to Rufus, who was standing in the living room, staring into the distance; no doubt the blonde was contemplating his next move.

It was a dangerous game they were about to play, Reno knew. If Rufus realized Reno was using him, well... But then again, the damn kid left Reno no choice but to do just that. Plus, Rufus couldn't necessarily take down Reno without going down with him, and if Rufus refused to do anything, it was admitting defeat.

No doubt those thoughts were also running through Rufus' head. If the man were smart, he'd tell Reno to leave now.

Instead, however, Rufus turned to face the redhead. "How long have you known?"

Reno swallowed. Clever move, Mr. Shinra. The Turk really didn't know how to answer. Just _what _has he known?

He certainly wasn't going to let Rufus know he knew of the tapes.

"A while," Reno finally answered, leaning back into the couch to make himself a little less awkward.

"A while," Rufus repeated. He took two steps forward, advancing towards Reno. He stopped suddenly and smirked. "Was I that obvious?"

Reno smiled. "Not at all, sir."

The blonde advanced more. "Rufus," he corrected, and stood in front of the Turk as he leaned forward. Reno could feel his heart clanging in his chest as his boss carefully examined him for what seemed like an eternity.

Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. Not that Reno was averse to what would transpire in the privacy of Rufus' apartment -- quite the contrary. He appreciated the kid's beauty; the silken blonde hair, arctic eyes and soft features of his face…

No, the actions weren't scaring him -- the repercussions were.

But he couldn't back down now, not when Rufus was leaning in so brazenly as he was.

"I must say, Reno," Rufus finally said, his calm tone slightly above a whisper. "With all the events occurring in a small amount of time..." He traced a finger on Reno's right scar, causing his breath to hitch.

"Becoming President of Shinra Inc, AVALANCHE, Sephiroth... I haven't had much time to... indulge."

He caught Reno's mouth with his own, the kiss quickly spiraling into a needy, hungry action. Reno eventually opened his mouth and allowed Rufus' tongue to taste his own. Rufus tasted of white chocolate, Reno mused, sweet dessert so devastatingly delicious that the Turk almost forgot why he was there.

Oh, shit.

Rufus must have seen the alarm in Reno's face when he pulled back because the blonde's eyes narrowed slightly before focusing once again on the Turk's face.

Damn, Reno thought. His paranoia never wavers. He panted for a few seconds before recovering and giving his boss a devilish smirk.

"Good thing I took notice then, yeah?"

A half-smile crossed Rufus' face as he knelt down in front of the redhead. He looked up as he loosened Reno's trousers. "My thoughts exactly."

"Fuck," Reno groaned as he felt the warmth of Rufus' mouth surrounding him. Shit, this was too good. It couldn't possibly be this easy and _so fucking good_ to strip Rufus Shinra of his dignity.

But the kid (and Reno had to keep reminding himself that he was just that -- a kid) was making it difficult for Reno to win, not with the way he flicked his tongue around Reno's head, enveloping his entire shaft within the caverns of his mouth... Reno tilted his head back against the couch and stroked Rufus' hair with a shaking hand, brushing the blonde bangs out of his face.

This was a horrible, _fucking brilliant_ idea. Reno closed his eyes and sighed loudly as the overwhelming feelings of pleasure pulsed in him. The worst idea ever. He can't possibly use the kid like this, no way--

No, Reno could not falter. Rufus wanted to play his dirty games, fine. Then he'll get what he deserved.

Rufus stopped when Reno's orgasm was threatening to come. The blonde decided to begin stripping himself of his many layers of clothing while the redhead sat there on the couch, absolutely dumbfounded.

"Rufus," he uttered, the exclamation coming out raspy. "Fuck... I don't..."

"Cold feet?" Rufus challenged, the accusation bringing Reno out of his stupor.

"Who? Me? C'mon, Rufus," Reno teased and rose from the couch as he, too, began removing his clothing. "When have I ever been scared?"

Reno kissed the blonde deeply once more, licking his lips as he pulled back. "Ready?"

"Shouldn't I be asking you?" Rufus questioned as he coaxed Reno back onto the couch.

Wait. _Wait_.

Suddenly, Reno didn't feel in control of the game anymore.

"But I, I thought..."

Rufus smirked before motioning with his finger for Reno to turn around on the couch. When Reno still looked hesitant, Rufus' eyes narrowed once more, his cold eyes locked onto Reno's.

"What did you think?" he asked, the words slowly leaving his mouth.

To be honest, Reno didn't know. Rufus didn't... Well, Reno was just used to topping and ... But there was something else, too, that was bothering him... The Turk was unable to determine why the suspicion was there, but it was.

Forget it. He had to do what needed to be done to save his ass. It wasn't like Reno was new to it anyway. So, with slight reluctance, Reno turned his back to the blonde.

He gasped as he felt Rufus' mouth sucking on the side of his neck, his lips traveling from the crook of the redhead's neck to his ear. "My precious little Turk," he whispered. "All mine..."

Keep telling yourself that, Reno thought. Like taking candy from a kid. Na, na-na, na...

But when Rufus entered, oh, how _easy_ it would have been to relinquish his inhibitions. Rufus was groaning into his ear and how fucking simple it'd be for Reno to slip back and let the the blonde use him up once again. It was nearly impossible to not give in and succumb to those carnal desires he had in earlier times...

Through the rough movements, Rufus' hand found Reno's and the blonde laced his fingers with his as the thrusts became harder and faster.

"Reno..." Rufus choked out, his other hand grabbing Reno and pumping him to climax.

The way he moaned his fucking name was music to his ears, and it was too much, and this was the worst fucking idea in history. Reno was crumbling, faltering...

"Rufus," he yelled, his orgasm approaching. "Rufus, I... FUCK," he groaned, the traces of his climax spilling all over Rufus' hand. Rufus quickly followed with three more hard thrusts before collapsing on top of Reno, kissing the side of his face and allowed time for them both to catch their breaths.

It was over. He won. Reno leaned back against his boss and tumbled down onto the couch, taking Rufus with him.

"Shit, sir," he said after a minute.

"Rufus," the blonde corrected. "Rest..."

Reno complied.

--

The Turk awoke with a jolt, as if his subconscious reminded him of where he was. Immediately, he noticed the blanket tightly wrapped around him, but there was no one else in sight. Then, realizing he was still naked, Reno rose from the couch and began putting his clothes back on, which were unexpectedly folded neatly on Rufus' coffee table.

Well, Reno thought when he was fully clothed. He did it, though not without slipping a bit. Reno scratched the back of his neck and sighed. The kid -- or man, _whatever _-- always had that power over him, mesmerizing the redhead to complete subordination.

He almost forgot how much he had wanted the blonde...

Reno shook his head feverishly to escape the thoughts. That was a while back, he told himself. It's different now. He had a job to finish.

The Turk cautiously began creeping around Rufus' apartment, looking for a case, a safe... anything that could be possible be stashing videotapes.

After a quick search around the other parts of the apartment, Reno slowly made his way towards his boss' bedroom. The door was ajar, so with a careful push, the Turk made his way inside. Of course, Rufus was in his bed knocked out, surrounded by fluffy blankets and plush pillows. Reno rolled his eyes, but soon spotted a black cabinet that seemed out of place in an overbearingly white room.

Jackpot.

Tip-toeing across the room, Reno slowly made his way to the cabinet. He opened the glass case and glanced at the many videotapes stacked neatly in rows. All of them were labeled by an employer's name -- Reno recognized some of the recently deceased ones, confirming his suspicions that this was how Rufus had enough evidence to pick off everyone.

He grinned as he finally found his target -- the tape labeled "RENO" was at the very bottom, piled under many others.

Of course it wouldn't be that easy, he thought. Surprisingly though, he removed his tape with minimal effort and noise. Once the tape was safely in his hands, he tucked it inside his jacket and proceeded to focus his attention on the sleeping blonde. He inched his way closer, carefully, to not waken Rufus, and once in front of him, trailed a finger along the side of his face.

"Not gonna use me anymore," he whispered, remembering the many instances when he found himself in the same position as he was in at the moment. But it was different now. He won. Rufus wasn't going to get his petty little revenge against Reno because he left months ago. Reno isn't one to disappear so easily.

With those thoughts, Reno turned around to leave the apartment.

--

Once in the hallway, Reno was suddenly overcome with an urge to watch the tape. It was more curiosity than paranoia. He wanted to know exactly _what_ Rufus was threatening him with, and he needed to know at that moment. With fire in each step, Reno quickly made his way onto the elevator and onto his level to watch the tape in the comfort of his home.

The anticipation was tingling, but Reno didn't understand. What were these sudden feelings of distrust and suspicion stirring within him?

He closed the door behind him and practically sprinted to his television set, shoving the video tape into his VCR and turning up the volume so he could clearly hear...

...Well, _fuck_.

Reno suddenly felt incredibly small as he collapsed onto his couch, running a sweaty palm along his face as he watched Rufus and himself in heated passion on the blonde's couch. Reno swallowed hard, almost unable to watch his own eyes become clouded with undeniable lust as Rufus' head bobbed up and down.

_When did he get those damn cameras installed?_

Reno covered his face with his hands, overwhelmed with defeat. This... He...

The dirty_ fucking _games he played...

A loud gasp caught Reno's attention. His eyes quickly darted up again to find himself in Rufus' grasp. Reno's half-lidded eyes were focused on nothing in particular, he could tell, but Rufus...

No, Rufus... His eyes were locked onto the camera as his lips made their way from Reno's neck to his ear. With those piercing blue eyes still looking up at the camera, Rufus whispered into Reno's ear: "My precious little Turk... all mine."

He stole Reno's dignity, then.

Like taking candy from a kid.

_Na, na-na, na._

--

**Author's Note:** I'm very tempted to continue this, as this was initially going to be a one-shot, so... yeah.


	2. The First Encounter?

**Author's Note:** Indulge me, readers. I'm trying a weird approach to this, in that I will alternate between the past and present. Chapters that occur in the past will have their title in parentheses. Learning about the past will only aid in understanding the present. LOL, PRETENTIOUS?

--

_(The First Encounter)_

Reno yawned loudly, bringing his long arms up in the air before placing them behind his head as he waited for the elevator to arrive. He exhaled a groan with his eyes closed, his morning grumpiness sinking in.

Leave it to Tseng to have a meeting on a goddamn Monday morning, Reno thought bitterly. The man probably didn't get the memo that Reno just didn't _do_ morning meetings. Quite frankly, the redhead would never get up for them if it weren't for Tseng's constant promises of free breakfast, or so Reno publicly stated.

The Turk suppressed a second yawn before the elevator chimed and announced its arrival. Reno sluggishly walked into the glass compartment and waited for the doors to close so the elevator could head to the upper levels.

Slowly, Reno's mind traveled back to the night before, or the small random bits that he could remember of it. The Turk leaned back against the glass and smiled. She was a pretty girl, he admitted. What was her name again? Andrea? If he remembered to get her number on a napkin or something, he'd give her a call. Definitely a looker.

The elevator chimed again. Reno was about to exit but then realized it stopped at the wrong level.

Before he could question the situation, the doors opened to reveal a young blonde man with _way_ too many layers of clothing, Reno mused. He must have been new; he'd never seen his face around here. At least, Reno couldn't remember him.

The two men made brief eye contact before the blonde entered the glass elevator. Reno observed as the blonde's finger hovered over the buttons before retracting it and glancing quickly at Reno.

_Who is this guy?_

The doors closed and the elevator lurched upward. Still a while to go. Reno hated this building. Who the hell thought it'd be a great idea to make it so goddamn high... Reno let out a little gasp. Wait.

He was still wearing the same pants from yesterday!

With this new revelation, he eagerly reached into both pockets and grinned as he felt a napkin in his left hand. He fished it out from the pocket and unwrapped it to reveal his messy writing and a telephone number underneath the name Raven.

Wait. Raven? Where the hell did he get the name Andrea from? Aw, shit. He didn't get with two girls last night, did he?

He groaned softly. Now he remembered. Andrea was the blonde with the unattractive boob job. Raven was the pretty brunette playing hard-to-get. Reno chuckled. He certainly took her walls down easily enough...

Yeah, he'll call her.

Then the Turk realized he was being stared at.

Coming back to the present, Reno locked eyes once again with the blonde still inside the elevator. Reno coughed, slightly embarrassed that the man in white might have been staring at his expressions within the past minute or so.

He cleared his throat and smiled. "Mornin'."

The man in white didn't answer, but instead, sharply turned his head in the other direction to stare out the elevator.

Fine, Reno thought. You know, you'd think you'd learn by now that people working here just aren't friendly, but _nooooo_, he still had to attempt to be civil...

Man, he could sure go for a donut. Maybe this morning meeting wasn't a bad idea after all.

The chime echoed in the shaft one final time before opening its doors to Reno's destination. Before Reno could take a step, however, the blonde cut him off and quickly made his way out onto the hallway.

Reno stepped out and slowly followed behind as he continued watching the blonde dash through the hall.

Tseng stepped out of his office as the man in white passed. The Turk nodded his head in acknowledgement. "Vice-President Shinra," the man greeted, though the man seemed to dismiss it. Reno watched his momentum finally dissipate as the blonde turned left into some big-shot's office.

Vice-President? That was interesting.

"Reno," Tseng began, and then added with a stern tone, "You're late."

"Vice-President?" Reno asked, disregarding the man's statement.

Tseng, used to Reno's behavior, merely sighed. "Didn't you recognize him? The President's son?" He led the redhead into his office where Rude was already seated in a chair in front of Tseng's desk.

"Haven't seen 'im since he was a kid. Hey partner," Reno said, patting Rude's shoulder before taking the seat next to him. Rude grunted in reply. He wasn't much of a morning person, either.

Tseng frowned. "He wasn't that young when he was transferred to Junon. He's not that much younger than you, actually. In any case, he's situated here now. It's been a week or two, I think."

"Oh."

"What's that in your hand?"

"Wha? Oh, this?" Reno folded the napkin and stuffed it back into his pocket. He grinned as he glanced at Rude and looked back at his superior. "Telephone number. From little miss Raven." He looked at his partner and nudged his shoulder. "Had a friend, ya know. I'm sure I could hook ya up."

"Reno..."

Tseng sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Reno, kindly refrain from involving your... weekend antics with work from this point on."

"You asked!"

Reno saw Rude crack a smile before his face returned to his passive expression. Tseng looked dumbfounded.

"Yes... Well..." The black-haired man cleared his throat. "This next mission requires the two of you..."

--

**Author's Note:** Time to bore you with my life story. I come from a large fandom, where even an unpopular pairing has SEVERAL pages of fic to assuage the reader. Rufus/Reno only has 11 pages. This saddens me. I think we need to change that. Review if you'd like -- I know where this story will go but I am uncertain if the path I am taking is the correct one, and some bits are still hazy. This chapter is SHORT and I apologize. This, I hope, will not happen again.


	3. Almost

Chapter 2: Almost

All the Turks were well aware that Reno detested early meetings with a bitter passion, so it was rather difficult for them to hide their surprise when the redhead casually strolled in five minutes before their morning briefing actually began. Their initial shock was short-lived, however, when they noticed the large bags under Reno's eyes that clearly indicated the redhead had pulled an all-nighter.

Still, Reno being early for anything could easily be taken as a sign of an impending apocalypse.

"Mornin', boss," he mumbled hoarsely, propping down onto a cushioned chair and making himself comfortable. "Rude, Elena."

Tseng and Rude exchanged somewhat concerned glances while Elena, still learning the ropes and therefore not thinking Reno's behavior as strange (despite his failing to use her disparaging nickname), merely smiled and eagerly exclaimed, "Good morning, Reno!"

Tseng gave her a strange look that she didn't see and returned his gaze back at his second-in-command. "Uh, Reno... I take it you had trouble sleeping last night?"

_My little Turk... All mine..._

Reno tightly shut his eyes before blinking rapidly as if to shake his thoughts off. "Yeah, you could say that..."

"Insomnia acting up again?" his partner asked from his chair.

Reno stayed silent for a moment before slowly nodding his head and confirming Rude's suspicions. "Yeah. Yeah, probably."

Tseng and Rude exchanged another look that irritated the crap out of Reno. He was only sitting right there -- no need to even attempt with the "discreet" eye language.

Though he figured they had a right to, since his little episodes of "insomnia" hadn't occurred since...

"Well, let's hope not," Tseng stated as he thumbed through the papers on his desk. "You certainly get a little... careless, if you're low on energy while on the job."

"Not that the next mission requires much," the man added. Elena perked up at the sound of a new mission while the others remained nonchalant. "We'll be heading to Junon at the end of the week for protection during the President's welcoming ceremony."

_President._

Reno immediately clenched his fist and stopped listening to the rest of Tseng's debriefing as his mind commenced yet another run-through of last night's events, once again attempting to pinpoint just when exactly things had gone astray.

Since the crack of dawn, Reno had been pacing back and forth in his apartment living room trying to explain Rufus's actions. Upon review, it seemed that Rufus had been expecting Reno last night, and now the redhead was kicking himself for not questioning the deceptive ease of getting away with what he did.

Not to mention all those tapes stacked on top of his.

At first, Reno saw red when he remembered all those videotapes in Rufus's cabinet -- but then he realized his silly assumption wasn't the least bit plausible. Those video cameras weren't there a few months ago, and it would have taken some time for Rufus to seduce all those people.

He was good, but not _that_ good.

So Rufus set him up. But just how did the kid know that Reno would come to him? He sure took a risk with that one. Hell, Reno was pretty adamant with the whole, "I'm-leaving-and-never-coming-back" attitude. So who was the little fucker to believe the redhead could easily be swayed?

Because he _wouldn't_ be easily swayed. So the fucker resorted to dirty games like blackmail, where Reno had no choice but to confront the goddamned...

"Any questions?"

"Where's Rufus now?" Reno heard himself ask in a low tone.

It was a pretty innocent question, or at least in Tseng's opinion, since the Turk answered with no hesitation. "The _President_," he began, "is in his office. But like I said, there's no need to begin now; SOLDIER is taking care of him at the moment. Well then, if everything is understood, you three are dismissed."

"Sir," the three said in unison with Elena's voice overpowering. She quickly shuffled out of Tseng's office to, Reno guessed, either finish her paperwork or research the most efficient way of kissing Tseng's ass.

Damn Rookie. She was cute, but Turk-material? Reno just didn't see it.

The redhead rose from his seat and followed after her until he felt a strong hand grip his shoulder which caught him off-guard.

"'Sa matter, Rude?" Reno quickly slurred as he spun around to face his partner and his boss who was now standing behind his desk and advancing towards the two Turks.

"Well?"

Reno shrugged. "She's cute, but Turk-material? I just don't see it."

"She's a better shot than you," Rude said while Tseng frowned.

"Ouch," Reno replied, grinning nonetheless.

"I wasn't talking about her," Tseng interjected as the two other Turks began play fighting. He sighed and continued. "I was talking about you."

"I'm fine, Boss," Reno assured, taking a jab at Rude's shoulder. Rude straightened up quickly after, adjusting his sunglasses as he did so. Reno turned to face Tseng. "Doc said I'm good as new and ready to fight any little terrorist group I come across now. All right?"

Tseng nodded but his frown was still on his face. "While that's certainly good news, I was actually more curious about your returning insomnia. Not that I don't appreciate the punctuality that comes with it..."

"Ah, that..." Reno grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head with the palm of his hand and shifting his weight to one leg. "Look, it's not like I was doin' anything bad..."

_Rufus's pale fingers around his cock..._

Both Tseng and Rude carefully observed him for what seemed like a cool minute until Tseng reluctantly accepted Reno's explanation by nodding. "Just make sure it doesn't become a routine again..." Then he added with a smirk, "Handling you with a good night's sleep is already enough trouble."

Reno winked and pointed his index finger at his boss. "Gotcha'," and with that, he was about ready to exit the Turk's office once again when Rude blocked his path. Reno gave out a cry of surprise when his partner roughly grabbed the front of the redhead's jacket and reached into the pocket to retrieve a pack of cigarettes.

Reno stumbled back slightly and, although Rude's eyes were hidden under the tint of sunglasses, he could tell Rude wasn't amused at all.

"What are these?" The bald Turk asked.

Reno's mood darkened as he pushed his partner aside as much as he could and finally left the office.

"None of your damn business," he grumbled.

--

Reno sauntered into the highest level of the ShinRa building with an arrogant air about him and turned the corner into the bare reception lounge -- Apart from the tall, long desk in the center of the hall, there were two cushioned chairs and a plant.

Reno looked Rufus's secretary up and down before locking eyes with her and giving her a feral grin that colored her cheeks a ferocious red. He'd been to Rufus's office tons of times, smiled at her the same way since his very first visit, yet she reacted the exact same way every time. Changing floors obviously didn't help her situation.

"R-Reno!" She exclaimed and sat up quickly, dropping her pen on the ground as she did so. "Haven't seen you around in a while, um... D'ya, um... wanna..."

She was a little ditzy, and Reno had always wondered why Rufus hired her of all people, eventually concluding that the blonde must have wanted someone incompetent around his dealings than an employee capable of mutiny.

It was definitely fun flirting with her, though, especially since Reno suspected Rufus was somehow watching them.

"Hey doll-face," Reno drawled, always unable to remember her name. She never noticed. "I missed ya, too." He leaned against her desk, attempting to get as close as he was allowed. "Listen, how about I, uh, make it up to ya, take you out to eat tonight?"

The girl conspicuously swallowed, eyes glazed over as if staring at the eighth wonder of the world. "Y-Yeah! I can eat! I mean, I can go for eating..."

Reno smirked. "Great, babe." He tilted his head to the left, in the direction of Rufus's office. "Now, is the President busy right now? I kinda need to have a few words with him; think ya can pencil me in?"

"Of course, Reno!" She giggled. "Anything for you, of course." The secretary picked up the telephone next to her and pressed a button before stating into the receiver, "Sir, Mr. President. Reno is here to--"

"Send him in," was the curt response heard through the speakerphone.

The girl flashed a smile at the Turk and nodded. Reno then gave her a final grin and a wink before advancing into Rufus's office.

As soon as the redhead walked in, the two SOLDIERs by the sides of the door shuffled out into the reception area. Reno watched them leave before approaching Rufus's desk. The blonde had his back towards the redhead, standing tall and facing the window. Reno took note of the impressionable view over the foggy city of Midgar.

"You know," the Turk said after the office doors closed, "I'm not on security until tomorrow. Ya sure it's a good idea sending your protection out there?"

Rufus continued staring out the window for a few moments. "That could easily be interpreted as a threat," the blonde softly said. "Should I be alarmed?"

The clutter of something on his desk finally coaxed the blonde into turning around and looking at Reno, but not before glancing at the videotape placed on the sleek chrome.

Reno didn't flinch under his boss's stare. He half-shrugged. "Thought ya'd want it back."

Rufus trailed a finger across the tape and frowned. "Are you sure? You seemed so eager to have it in your hands."

Those icy blue eyes of his were pinning Reno down. Reno's pulse quickened then.

"I have another copy," Rufus revealed after a while. "Keep it. Unless you'd rather I give it to Carrah; Seems she'd enjoy it."

"Ah… Jealous, sir?" Reno asked with a smug tone. The redhead circled around the desk, approaching Rufus slowly, carefully. Rufus didn't move from his position. He simply stared at the tape and locked eyes with Reno when he moved closer.

Damn the kid, or man, whatever. He always had that way of getting under his skin and now Reno was mere inches away from him, his resolve threatening to crumble yet again.

"Where are you taking her?" Rufus asked quietly, his words grazing Reno's lips. God, the envious undertones in his words would have driven the Turk crazy already -- if he hadn't remembered those same mannerisms were what caused him to leave.

But _damn_, he was hard.

"Why would I tell ya that, huh?" Reno murmured, gripping both of Rufus's wrists in one hand and lightly tugging his hair with the other. He tilted the blonde's face upward to nip and kiss his jaw. "Huh?"

"To make sure you won't do something you'll regret," he answered.

Reno released the blonde's wrists and pushed him against the desk with his body. Both Rufus and Reno placed their hands on the desk for support. Rufus tilted his head back and granted Reno better access to his neck, which Reno began to kiss greedily, flicking his tongue out occasionally to hear Rufus's breath hitch.

"I don't regret," Reno said, hot breath along Rufus's face. The Turk brought one of his hands to brush against the fabric of Rufus's pants to feel his cock before moving up and tugging at the blonde's belt.

"Careful," Rufus warned, despite half-lidded eyes. He brought his lips to Reno's ear. "There are cameras in here, too."

That was enough to send Reno crashing back down into reality. He swiftly pulled himself off of Rufus and began heading towards the door.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" he heard Rufus ask, and he turned to see a small smirk on the blonde's face.

"Give it to her. Maybe she'll like it," he challenged, and gave his boss a mock-salute before exiting the office.

--

**Author's Note: **I was _going_ to delete this and transfer it to my new username, but I couldn't bear deleting the reviews. Heh. So review if you like, please. This is me testing the Rufus/Reno waters. I hope I'm doing okay so far.


	4. Code Red?

_(Code Red)_

A month had passed before Reno encountered the Vice-President again. This time, however, the Turk was on duty.

"You're late," Tseng sharply exclaimed as Reno entered his office, and from the way he was furiously pacing back-and-forth, Reno suspected the man really _was_ going to dock his pay that time like he often threatened to do -- But then Reno checked his watch and discovered he was actually five minutes early.

Before he could point that out to his boss, Tseng informed him of the current situation.

"There's been a threat. A group of unknown terrorists have just contacted the President for gaia-knows-what and are quickly approaching Headquarters as we speak." Reno's hand twitched in anticipation. Tseng took note of it and shook his head. "MPs are already around the perimeter, and SOLDIERs are in place as well, in the lobby and lower levels. I know you've been itching for some action, Reno, but I'm afraid our priority at this point is safety."

"Who am I guardin' then?" Reno asked. His back was turned as he quickly began preparing his Electro-Mag Rod for use, and then fastening the weapon to his wrist. He had been complaining about the recent lull at work, but a job was a job, and a threat was serious business. His own wants would have to wait.

"The Vice-President," Tseng responded, and then answered Reno's next question. "Rude's been assigned to the President, while I have to ensure the situation won't turn too ugly. Now go. Keep your phone close. I'll keep you informed."

Reno nodded and swiftly walked out of the office and into the elevator to head upwards.

**

Wherever this threat came from, it must have been a big deal. Normally, any kind of alarm wouldn't faze most of the ShinRa employees, since strange incidents occurred within the walls of ShinRa all the time. Reno sensed a slight tinge of panic within the workers that morning, however, and although it was very terrible luck to have several lives at risk, the redhead was hoping deep down inside that his combat skills would be needed in the immediate future.

Focusing on the task at hand, Reno marched down the hall once the elevator doors opened and informed anyone he passed about the commotion, in case they hadn't heard already. It was really unnecessary though -- most were cowering and attempting to barricade themselves in their compact offices, the little cowards.

The Turk's gaze lingered for a moment on who he assumed to be the Vice-President's secretary. She had auburn hair that fell past her shoulders and a very pretty face...

...But there was no time for that.

She made eye contact with Reno before he looked away and proceeded to the young Shinra's office. He could have sworn he heard a weak protest from the secretary, so he stopped and turned around to face her. "There's a Code Red, miss." He grinned despite himself and continued. "Gotta protect your boss. Wouldn't want a pretty face like yours without a job, yeah?"

With that, he swung back around and entered the main office, slamming the door behind him.

Rufus Shinra slowly looked up from his work. A flicker of confusion appeared on his face, and Reno had to wonder if the blonde truly had no clue what Reno was doing there. Then again, Reno had never interacted with the young man before. Everything he knew about the Vice-President was mere speculation. People said he was precise in everything with which he was involved, but hey, maybe they were wrong.

What Reno _did _know, was that he was feeling more uncomfortable with each passing second that he was under the scrutiny of the young man's piercing blue gaze -- which anyone would have thought peculiar, as Reno's bold temperament never faltered.

The Turk cleared his throat and walked further into the room, tapping his EMR on his shoulder as he did so. "Sir," Reno addressed and tilted his head towards the office door. "There's a Code Red out on the ground floors."

Rufus didn't say anything.

"Uh... Means there's a threat." The redhead approached the front of Rufus's desk and continued. "Now, me bein' a Turk and all, that grants me the _pleasure_..." The redhead emphasized the last word with his hands.

"...of protectin' the _essentials_ that run this company." Reno pointed his weapon at the Vice-President and smirked. "And right now, that means you."

At this point of Reno's speech, President Shinra would interrupt with a condescending scoff and order the Turk to shut up. Then he'd grumble endlessly about how these goddamned threats ruined his schedule for the day, and how he must be doing his job right if so many people were attempting to infiltrate HQ, or maybe SOLDIER and the Turks were slacking off, and so perhaps the President needed to consider cutting checks...

The President's son didn't do any of that, though. He merely brushed his bang out of his face and peered down to continue working.

"I see."

Reno was a little surprised, but recovered almost instantly. Truth be told, he was expecting an exact, younger replica of President Shinra, and so far, Rufus wasn't living up to that assumption... thankfully.

Maybe the babysitting gig wouldn't be so aggravating this time.

**

Ten minutes passed. The blonde hadn't looked up again, seeming deeply immersed in his paperwork. Reno took the time then to turn his attention away from the Vice-President and examine the spacious office. While not as extravagant as the President's, it was still a fairly large room. He glanced at the bookshelves on both walls and looked down at the wine-red plush carpet beneath him. The redhead also took note of the weighing silence in the room, and guessed the walls were soundproof.

He couldn't suppress a yawn, so he released it slowly and quietly, turning back around as he did so.

Rufus Shinra was staring at him.

"Reno, correct?"

Reno almost asked aloud how the hell he knew his name, but quickly remembered he was speaking to the Vice-President. Of course Rufus would know _some_ information about the employees at HQ, especially a Turk's. Reno nodded and straightened up.

Rufus set aside his work and leaned back into his leather chair, never taking his eyes off his temporary bodyguard. The blonde had his left arm propped on the chair and traced the corner of his lips with his index finger. "Care to enlighten me on the current situation?"

Reno nodded again and made his way back to the front of the desk. "Boss said some terrorists were headin' over or somethin'. Got MPs and SOLDIERs on the job." The Turk tapped his weapon on his shoulder twice. "I'm here in case things get sticky. No big deal." Reno then dug into his trouser pocket and grabbed his cell phone to boldly place it on Rufus's desk.

The redhead was bored already, so he thought it a rather appropriate time for a little experiment. "I take it, ya ain't been around if ya don't know the drill," Reno stated as he sat down on the visitor's chair.

Rufus curiously stared at the phone before responding. "I haven't."

The Turk chuckled in his seat and leaned back into it, making himself more comfortable and at home. His alleged, "lack of manners," always bothered the President. Maybe it'd do the same to his son. "Well, welcome to Shinra HQ, kid."

Rufus's eyes flickered with irritation. It was a rapid movement, but Reno caught it well enough. His experiment was succeeding. So, naturally, he continued. "Anyway, Boss'll call when this little incident's over." Reno propped his chin against a hand and closed his eyes. "Until then, we wait."

"And you're just going to sit there with your eyes closed while who-knows-what happens down there?" The blonde asked with detected agitation in his voice. He was scowling.

Reno had reached a conclusion: It wasn't so hard to get a rise out of this guy. He smirked at the ease of his project, but slightly torn that it was over. He needed to be entertained, too, after all. He placed his arms behind his head and said, "Nah, sir. Figured ya'd keep an eye out for the both of us."

There was silence, so Reno continued. "What? You tellin' me ya don't have access to surveillance?"

There was more silence, but soon, Reno heard typing and clicking coming from Rufus's desk. He opened his eyes and sure enough, found himself looking at the blonde concentrated on his computer screen.

**

Twenty minutes had passed with lack of conversation. Reno had gotten up from the chair and started examining the books on the shelves. However, the Turk quickly got bored of that once he realized he didn't recognize any. He'd steal glances at Rufus occasionally to see what the kid was doing, which was nothing interesting. The blonde would either be focused on the surveillance feeds (Reno only assumed), or staring off into the distance, lost in his reverie. Reno even managed to make brief eye contact with him once or twice... or three or four times. Of course, it was brief.

Growing tired by the second, Reno eventually settled to lean against the wall next to the door and daydream about the bar he and Rude would head to after work.

"So, how long do these threats last?"

Reno lazily looked up and shrugged. "Not that long if everyone's doin' their job. Could be any minute now." He turned his attention away from the Vice-President and went back to craving a much-needed drag from a cigarette. Nicotine, the fickle woman...

Man, he'd kill for a large hamburger, too. And a drink. And sex. That new bartender was sure feisty, but nothing a couple of beers wouldn't tame--

"You sure about that?"

Reno's gaze rose and was slightly stunned to see Rufus seated casually on top of the front of his desk and staring curiously once again at Reno's cellphone that was right next to him. Of course, nothing the Vice-President was doing was weird in Reno's book -- he had just expected to hear the blonde get up from his chair and onto the desk, was all.

Dismissing Rufus's surprising stealth for the time being, Reno nodded and slumped against the wall. "Like I said, Tseng'll phone in, and I'll be outta here before ya know it," he said as he pointed to his device.

Rufus, in an odd gesture, stroked the phone with his finger before turning his attention away from it and onto the man across the room. "Tseng..." he murmured, a faint trace of puzzlement on his face. Then he smiled and nodded curtly. "Ah... He's the head of the Turks now?"

"Uh..." To say Reno was perplexed at the fact that the Vice-President of ShinRa Corporation almost had no clue of who Tseng was, yet easily pronounced his own name not half-an-hour ago, was an understatement. In fact, he figured his thoughts were clearly plastered on his face because Rufus sighed and got up from his desk to walk behind it.

"I wasn't trying to disrespect your boss, Reno," Rufus explained as he sat down on his chair again. "The old man has kept me out of the loop for a while now. I must admit I'm still struggling to keep up with all the employees."

Reno could have pointed out that Tseng had been working at ShinRa for years, and that even Reno himself remembered the adolescent blonde from earlier years, so forgetfulness and absentmindedness was no excuse, but...

...well, Reno really didn't care.

He just wanted to leave so he could go on a well-deserved cigarette break. So, instead, he asked, "How's the situation lookin'?" He looked at his phone, which was still placed atop the blonde's desk.

Rufus hesitated for a bit, icy blue eyes scanning the Turk thoughtfully. Then he quickly glanced at the computer screen before responding.

"Hostages."

Reno groaned.

**

Reno stole a peek at his wristwatch and sighed. He had been in the Vice-President's office for an hour already. What the hell was going on down there? How did this situation spiral out of control? And if it had gotten so bad, why hadn't Tseng or Rude called him?

If he were anyone else, Reno would have started to panic. Instead, he was just confused.

Things could have been a lot worse, he figured. He could have been stuck with the President -- Reno wondered how Rude was doing. The President was really a pain in the ass. The son, however, well...

...Rufus was just a little strange -- and Reno truly didn't know why. The kid wasn't doing much. Whenever the redhead looked up (at the 40 minute mark, he resigned to sitting on the floor, against the wall), Rufus would either be typing, reading something from his computer screen, looking at Reno's phone, looking at Reno, or brooding. All actions appeared normal and innocent enough, which was perhaps why Reno concluded the kid was a little weird. He couldn't help but feel he was being tested, or examined, or something of that nature.

Reno decided it was time for another look again. This time, the Vice-President was focused on the computer monitor.

"What's goin' on now?" Reno asked for the umpteenth time.

"Nothing new," Rufus replied, almost automatically.

The Turk resisted the urge to exhale loudly."How about my phone? Is it even workin'?" Reno was about to stand to check, but the blonde took it upon himself, leaning forward and grabbing the black device to examine it.

"Seems to be working," he stated.

Reno hung his head in his hands and stayed in that position for another ten minutes. Damn it, he was tired.

"Reno," Rufus called. The Turk raised his head.

"Care for a drink?"

**

Five minutes later found Reno seated in Rufus's visitor's chair with a glass of scotch in his hand. Why the blonde kept a bottle of alcohol and accompanying glasses in his office was a little beyond the Turk, but at the present moment, he was a little relieved for the drink. He was starting to go a little crazy.

Another ten minutes passed in silence. The two men quietly sipped their drinks, occasionally glancing at one another to observe what they were doing. Rufus had adopted another habit now: drumming his fingers against his desk. Reno assumed he was also growing agitated by the second over the unwanted halt in his work schedule. It actually made the redhead more at ease -- for a while, he could have sworn Rufus was enjoying this.

He felt eyes on him, so Reno turned to regard the blonde. "Wha?"

"I... asked how you came to be a Turk."

"Oh," Reno said. He finished the last of his drink and set the glass on Rufus's desk. "Too small for SOLDIER, apparently."

The blonde cocked an eyebrow. "You wanted to be in SOLDIER?"

Reno laughed and shook his head. "Hell no," he replied in between chuckles. "Just wanted to get outta the slums. But anyway, kinda glad I didn't make it. Bunch 'a meatheads." The Turk leaned forward to glance at the cell phone. Nothing.

Rufus smirked and brushed a strand of hair from his face. Reno caught his eye and the blonde took the hint to check the surveillance feed. "Same," he announced.

Reno expected it, but he couldn't help but look slightly crestfallen.

"I'm not enjoying this either, Reno," Rufus reassured, and then quickly changed the subject. "Do you enjoy working here?"

This took Reno by surprise. Was this a trick question? Was the kid going to run up and tell Daddy what Reno had said?

He supposed he hesitated longer than he should have because Rufus's dry laughter interrupted his thoughts. "It's a genuine question. I won't fire you if that's what's keeping you from talking. In fact..." Rufus paused, and Reno observed the slight calculating look in his features. After several moments, however, the blonde resumed.

"...Do you trust me?"

Reno instantly snorted. "Sorry, man," the redhead sneered, completely put off by the question. "Gonna have to talk to someone more than once to earn my trust."

"But we've met twice," Rufus pointed out matter-of-factly.

"No we haven't," Reno argued, ignoring the fact that he was questioning the Vice-President's, the _goddamn President's kid_'s sanity. But hell, he only had to prove himself to Tseng and President Shinra, and he had done so a long time ago. No way was he going to suck up to this... kid.

Rufus's eyes flared with irritation. "Yes we have, Reno. Don't you remember? The elevator?"

"What the hell are ya talkin' about?" Reno asked. He honestly couldn't remember. If the blonde was an ass at all times, Reno surely would have remembered...

Shaking his head to rid himself of the confusion, Reno merely stood to regain his position up against the wall once more. He spoke as he made his way. "Look, I'm just here to do my job. No more with these fake acts of... kindness, and shit."

He saw confusion all over Rufus's face, and Reno couldn't help but feel confused over his outburst, as well. He concluded he was just cranky about the babysitting gig, the agonizingly long process that this ordeal was taking, and Rufus's feigned civility.

...Damn ShinRa.

Not more than seven minutes passed when Rufus cleared his throat and said, "You're dismissed."

Reno looked up. "Dismissed?"

Rufus nodded. "Situation is cleared. Everything appears to be back to normal. You may leave."

"Maybe I should wait for Tseng to..."

"You're dismissed, _Turk_."

Now the redhead was really confused.

Reno ignored it for the time being. He really did want to leave. "All right, then," he said and approached Rufus's desk to grab his phone and tuck it in his trouser pocket. "Sir," he nodded and turned to head for the door.

"Know that..."

Reno stopped when his hand was at the doorknob. He slightly turned his head to show he was listening.

"...My kindness, as you so put it, was by no means, any form of act."

Reno hesitated to register what the man said. "Sir," he said again, and left the room.

**

"Reno, where the _hell_ have you been?" Tseng asked with alarming acidity. He rose from his office chair and bore holes through Reno's face.

"Whaddaya mean? I was with the VP," Reno answered with slight caution, scratching the back of his neck.

Tseng pursed his lips. "All this time?"

"Well, yeah," Reno said. He thought it was a pretty dumb question, too...

But apparently not. Tseng pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed loudly. "I thought I told you to keep your phone with you. Let's hope you didn't inconvenience the Vice-President much, but that might be wishful thinking..."

"Tseng, what the hell is going on? My phone's been with me, man. I never got a call."

"Reno, I called you a dozen times. I was going to start looking for you but Rude convinced me you were probably off slacking somewhere." Tseng's glare turned accusatory. "I decided to simply wait until you came back from your shirking to dock your pay."

"Hey, hey, hey," Reno began. "Look, I'll show ya! No calls from this piece of cra--"

Reno had been pulling out his PHS as he was defending his case but stopped to reel in the horror. "It's on silent," he admitted. Tseng smirked triumphantly. "Wait, wait, that doesn't prove anythin', because it doesn't say anything about missed calls. So --"

"Give me that," Tseng circled around the desk and grabbed Reno's work phone. He flipped the phone open and began to press buttons. Meanwhile, Reno waited to be proven correctly.

The moment never came, however. Tseng found what he was looking for, and sure enough, the last 12 missed calls were all from Tseng. Reno's eyes widened in shock. This was impossible...

"The threat," Tseng said as he made his way back to his chair, "was cleared over an hour-and-a-half ago. Care to explain?"

"Sir," Reno attempted to explain. "The phone never rang, and the kid... Wait..."

At the complete lack of disrespect when Reno referred to Rufus, Tseng pursed his lips again and motioned for Reno to leave. "Out. You're dismissed, and be fully aware that your next paycheck will be significantly reduced."

"Boss!"

"Out."

Reno groaned but knew better than to argue with Tseng. The guy was really scary when he wanted to be, and now was one of those times. He left the head Turk's office as Tseng's phone began to ring.

Reno had been in hot water before, but this time felt a little different. Not that he deserved the previous punishments of docked pay, but the boss certainly had good reason to do so. Right now, though, Reno was feeling a little... framed.

Reno plopped onto his chair when he made it into his office and rubbed his face with both hands. Hell, he could have sworn his phone's volume was turned up all the way. It was why he placed it on Rufus's desk so they could both hear...

"...Hold on a sec," Reno muttered to himself.

...He _did_ see Rufus on an elevator once! And Reno was fairly sure he tried greeting him, but the little brat didn't say anything...

Wait, there was more...

...What happened to the hostages?

But before Reno could follow that train of thought, Tseng walked into his office and informed the redhead there had been a misunderstanding, and that he'd need a report from him by the end of the week. He also mentioned he might have been a bit harsh on Reno's sentence, so he reconsidered cutting Reno's paycheck.

The sudden relief that washed over the Turk was so much that, well... he forgot to question it.

--

**Author's Note:** How did I not update for three weeks? Apologies! I've been anxious over this chapter. Much love to my beta/partner-in-crime. (:


	5. Pray You Stutter

**Author's Note:** You are allowed to hate me for both the extremely late update and the extremely LAME update. I promise you, guarantee, the next one will be more entertaining.

--

It wasn't until he was sitting in the private ShinRa aircraft that Reno really began to consider that perhaps, just maybe, dating Carrah was the stupidest idea he'd ever had.

Of course, Reno acknowledged the fact that there would have been no stress in the matter if he had just asked her months before. In retrospect, he _had_ attempted to, back at that company gathering way back then...

Well, Rufus sure shot _that_ to Hell.

And then Reno got a little preoccupied with playing pet to that blonde sadist, so really, if he was going to be in some form of "relationship" with Carrah, he should have initiated it earlier.

Inappropriate timing was the first indicator that Reno had made a bad move. The second was the overall mood of the date itself. Carrah, being the beautifully hopeless ditz that she was, most likely had no clue of Reno's discomfort during his time with her -- which, in all honesty, wasn't a bad thing, because if she had noticed how many times the Turk turned to look over his shoulder to see if they were being followed, she might have started asking questions.

And, "Just checkin' to make sure our boss isn't stalkin' us and plannin' my death for goin' out with ya," might have raised an alarm. So, it was really quite fortunate that she didn't detect Reno's abnormally jittery mood.

The foreign feeling of paranoia in Reno: Indicator #2.

Then there was the sex.

Or the lack of it.

Reno tried -- oh_, Gaia, _he tried-- to feel aroused when the brunette climbed over to him when he stopped the car in front of her place. He had tried to get himself hard when she was pressed on him, straddled on top of him and moaning into his mouth, her eager tongue tumbling with his experienced one.

She was clumsy, but what Carrah lacked in grace, she made up for in her unadulterated passion. It was a trait Reno had always admired in others, and he would have gladly had his way with her inside the cramped car... _if he could have just gotten it up._

But he had been trying since leaving his last relationship, and every time he found himself in an empty room with a woman, it ended the same way: Reno shaking his head apologetically while the unfortunate female eyed him angrily, frustrated that she was deceivingly led to nothing.

Because no girl's hands could compare to Rufus's firm ones. No one else allowed Reno to greedily claim them like Rufus did. No female's moans could ever drive Reno over the edge now that he'd heard Rufus's hissed groans in his ear...

The Turk expected Carrah to quickly realize something was off, so he patiently waited until she'd come to her senses and storm off angrily to find someone else for release. But all the secretary did was press a hand to the side of his face, tilt her head in adoration, and admitted that she had a really great time with him...

It was the third telltale sign of his mistake.

But it was the fourth and final sign, the one facing him currently that was tempting Reno to actually regret something he did.

Elena, being the lovable, innocent, little _cunt_ that she was, was apparently bored out of her skull in the cramped chopper. So, to rid herself of ennui, the girl turned to Reno and uttered the worst statement she could have at that moment:

"So I bumped into Carrah yesterday when I was leaving work. Said you guys were going out again when we get back to Midgar."

Reno's blue eyes immediately shot open, and to his horror, found all pairs of eyes on him -- including Rufus's. The blonde was giving him the coldest, most vicious look the man could muster -- and Gaia, it was fucking scary.

Definitely a huge mistake.

"I--"

"She seemed really excited about it, too, you know," Elena cruelly continued. "You must have really shown her a good time or something." Her eyes widened. "Um, not like that... Uh, at least, I hope not..."

"Elena."

The female Turk perked up.

"Shut the hell up," Reno demanded with an edge of frustration. He was looking down at his boots, too ashamed to bring his head up. He could still feel Rufus's acidic gaze on him. The blonde was murdering him in his head, and for a brief moment, Reno could swear he felt it.

Tseng chuckled softly. "I think it's quite endearing," he commented.

Reno instantly concluded the gods were out to get him. Tseng was sitting right next to Rufus! How could he not detect Rufus's increasingly bubbling wrath? Because he sure was! He figured he had a good 30 seconds to live before that insane little brat brought out his shotgun to blow the redhead's face off...

Rude nodded in agreement. "She looks sane. Maybe this'll finally be a healthy relationship..."

"Gaia knows how you came out after the last one," Tseng added lightly.

"Oh, come on!" Reno exclaimed shrilly and bravely looked up. Yup. Rufus was still pissed. "Can we stop talkin' about my personal life here? Jeeze..."

"We're just happy for you, Reno," Elena softly said, and then tilted her head. "The both of you. She's liked you for so long, so I--"

"YA JUST GOT HERE!" Reno yelled, causing Elena to pale significantly. "What the hell do you know?"

"My secretary?"

Now all eyes were on the young President. Rufus was looking out the tiny window with indifference, the perfect portrait of calm and collected. He brushed his bang away from his face and turned to eye the redhead. "A word of advice, Reno," he began and smirked with evident malicious intent. "She loves movies."

Reno abruptly shifted his gaze back to his feet. An overwhelming and unexplainable sense of guilt took hold of him, and he was having a very difficult time finding reason to it.

It was his choice. He had left. It was the RIGHT choice...

"We'll be arriving soon," Rufus announced, and smoothly changed the subject to the Junon itinerary. Reno merely attempted to listen.

**

A large crowd of important-looking businessmen had swarmed around the new President once the aircraft landed. The Turks stayed close by, as instructed, and followed Rufus as he made his way inside the Shinra building. The many sycophants led the path to Rufus's temporary private room, informing him that all his needs would be met during his visit to Junon, and that his Welcoming Ceremony was scheduled to start within the coming half-hour.

The redhead had been around Rufus long enough to determine his moods, and right now, the kid was pissed. He knew the blonde hated being around so many people, knew he was very close to snarling and snapping at the fake employees around him.

It surprised him, then, when Rufus sharply turned to scan him and sternly stated, "Reno. Come."

Fuck, he was in for it. Still, the Turk feigned casual and stepped forward, following his boss into the room and closing the door before anyone could even think of running in after them.

"How was she?" Rufus asked as soon as the noise from the other side of the door was suspended. Reno swallowed. The blonde's voice was calm, steady, and neutral. It was a bad sign.

"Look, Rufus, ya ca--"

Rufus spun around to face his former lover and ignored his attempt at explaining. "Really, Reno. How was she? I do sincerely hope she was everything you expected. Gaia knows you've been wanting to get in her pants since the beginning."

"Fuck, you're taking this shit too--"

"How long did you last? Did you come first? Inside her? Did you suck it out of her _cunt_?"

Reno should have been pissed beyond reason that the kid assumed he could ask for details about his personal life... but all he could concentrate on was the strain in his pants.

"Stop bein' a fuckin' girl, Rufus," Reno said and found a spot on the wall to lean against. "What the fuck is it to ya?"

"It's my responsibility to know about my employees, and if I suspect two of them are conspiring against me--"

"Now you're talkin' shit," Reno growled and shot Rufus a glare. "Ya really have changed, ya know that? Fuckin' hilarious, man."

The blonde smirked. "Is that how you feel? I'm sorry to hear that. In any case, when she sees that video--"

Reno scoffed and unconsciously reached into his jacket to pull out his lighter and a cigarette. "Fuck you, Rufus," he said and put the cig in his mouth. "Like ya actually have the balls to pull that stunt."

The Turk was too excited about the cancer stick in his mouth to realize Rufus was dangerously silent. He closed his eyes and exhaled, briefly forgetting he was in the middle of a heated argument with his boss.

"When did you start smoking again?"

Reno's eyes flew open. A wave of guilt, resentment, and astonishment washed over him that had him feeling like he was just punched in the stomach. Immediately, he took the cigarette out of his mouth, threw it on the floor and put it out with his boot.

But Rufus had watched him light it up anyway. The damage was done.

Should he answer then? Was there even an answer? The redhead opened his mouth but only a tiny noise trickled out.

"Out."

"Rufus--"

"Get the hell out of my office!" Rufus yelled in a rare burst of pure fury. With an almost impossible agility, the blonde grabbed Reno from his casual position against the wall and smoothly opened the office door, throwing the redhead out into a group of shocked employees.

**

"Maybe he's just stressed," Elena flatly offered as consolation while she traced the rim of her glass.

Reno snorted into his drink. "Yeah, Rookie, sure. And maybe this ain't all your damn fault for not keepin' that mouth shut in the first place."

Elena winced and looked down into her drink.

"I don't think anyone really expected for Rufus to react in that manner," Tseng said. "To be honest, I really don't understand why he was so upset..."

Reno's heart started pounding. That stupid kid jeopardized everything by letting his jealousy get the best of him. How the hell were they supposed to explain this?

"Look at it this way," he began as he took a large swig of his alcohol. "Ya got Elena and me as your workers, and everything's all peaches and cream." He then flashed Elena a quick smile before wrapping a long arm around her neck. "Then ya find out we've been shackin' up. What's your reaction, boss?"

Tseng contemplated the question for a cool minute, tapping his fingers on his glass. Reno tightened his grip on the girl while he waited, well aware of Elena's discomfort at the moment.

"I wouldn't like it," Tseng finally concluded, and then elaborated once he caught the glimmer in the female Turk's eyes. "It would jeopardize missions." He brought his glass of sake to his lips and continued. "There is a reason relationships between coworkers are highly frowned upon. In our case, it would hinder your performance. Maybe you'd hesitate over something you'd never have before. Love is blinding."

The older man stared at the redhead straight in the face. "It's why you never become involved with someone at your job."

Elena choked on a noise. Reno glanced at her and watched the red rise in her cheeks. "I'm so sorry..." she gave Reno an apologetic look and turned back to Tseng. "I wouldn't have mentioned it if it was such a big deal, honestly. I was just making conversation!"

"Yeah, yeah," Reno said, pulling his arm away and placing it on the bar counter. "Kid's just paranoid."

Still, the look Tseng gave him... it wouldn't be a surprise to Reno if the man already knew.

The three of them sat on their stools in front of the bar in silence for the following minutes, each attempting to sift through their own personal thoughts. Rufus was at the forefront of Reno's mind. He couldn't shake off the memory of those angry eyes, the way his former lover turned on him and threw him out as if he were trash.

It was ridiculous that he cared so much about it. It fucking bothered him. He was perfectly content with the way things were going for the past months, but then he got a taste of Rufus again and like the wounded animal Rufus claimed him to be, he was back for more.

All this time he wanted to be a victor in at least one of their many, neverending battles, and now that he had, Reno wasn't sure if he liked it. Maybe he would have felt differently last month, but right now, he fucking hated it.

Stupid kid.

"Think he'll fire me, boss?" Reno asked, and cringed at the evident worry in his voice. Rufus would never fire him. This was clear to Reno now. But he wanted to confirm it with Tseng.

"Temporarily suspend your hours, maybe," Tseng answered as he watched a suspicious-looking SOLDIER enter the bar. Reno turned to watch the guy, too. The ceremony had ended a short while ago, but SOLDIER still had to attend to the President until he safely departed, and since Rude wasn't back yet, he figured it wasn't any time soon.

He chuckled. Right now, he should have been in Rude's position. The blonde appointed Reno to be at his side during this trip, but after he threw the redhead out of his room, he loudly (much to Reno's embarrassment) elected Rude to be his new guard for the remainder of his visit.

"Why is this bothering you so much?" Tseng asked. The SOLDIER was idly strolling about the bar in mock-nonchalance.

"Haven't been yelled at since Shinra was around," Reno answered honestly.

"He just passed two weeks ago," Elena replied, her brows furrowed in confusion.

"Always yelled," Reno answered flatly, and lit a cigarette in the non-smoking bar. If the bartender noticed it, he didn't say anything. Reno was a Turk, after all.

"I thought you gave up smoking a long time ago, by the way," Tseng observed, and Reno noted the slight disapproval on his face. What the hell was so wrong with smoking that everyone had to point it out? Gaia.

"Gaia," Reno said aloud and rolled his eyes. "You people gotta stop bringin' that shit up." He looked down at the counter. "I never quit anyway," he lied. "Just cut down. Stopped smokin' on the job."

"Okay, Reno," Tseng said, and quickly changing his tone of voice, the head Turk rounded on the approaching SOLDIER and said, "Stay outta this."

Elena followed suit. She gave the man a once-over before narrowing her eyes. "The minute you think the job's boring, you guys start messing around."

Reno knew it was his turn to goad the lackey, but he really didn't have the heart in it. He snuffed out the cigarette with his boot and assured the man that "The President's safety is secure because we're here."

He couldn't help, however, to feel that his own mental safety was being heavily threatened _because_ the President was around.


	6. Smoke and Mirrors and Parties?

**Author's Note: **Damn it, I'm sorry all. That writer's block lasted for months. And I got busy. Whew. Reminder, this story alternates between past and present. Jeeze, I'm sorry.

--

_(Chapter 6: Smoke and Mirrors and Parties)_

"I really gotta go to this, boss?"

The redheaded Turk tugged at the tie he rarely sported around his neck in annoyance. He looked up when he asked his question in outrageous hope that Tseng would let him off the hook, but the man's no-nonsense glare said otherwise. Reno huffed loudly then but didn't pursue the topic.

He hated these company parties with a passion; nothing but corporate drones sweet-talking and ass-kissing their way onto the President's good side. Reno normally tolerated the disgustingly fake atmosphere with the free alcohol provided, but tonight, he just wasn't in the mood. Call it intuition or just a bad stomach cramp, but he would have rather been far away from this party.

The elevator chimed and the doors slid open. The three Turks swiftly stepped out with Tseng leading them. "I've already spoken to the President," the Wutaian man started, his eyes looking straight ahead. "The chance of an attack is almost slim to none, but as always, stay on guard, be alert, and keep your eyes open." He stopped just in front of the two ballroom doors and turned around to face the duo. "Understood?"

"Understood," Reno said, saluting the man with minimal effort. Rude simply nodded.

"Very well then. Have fun." Tseng turned back around to open the double-doors and instantly, they were met with the sounds of clinking glasses, loud chatter, and music. Reno immediately darted forward in the direction of the bar, but was thwarted by Tseng's right arm.

"And please try not to drink too much. The President wants a _respectable_ evening, Reno."

"Got it, lay off the booze. Ya can trust me, boss," the Turk half-lied. Tseng lowered his arm and the trio split off.

Reno quickly walked across the extravagantly decorated ballroom. A waiter was floating aimlessly with a tray of champagne and as the redhead passed, he grabbed two glasses, ungracefully drank all the contents of one glass in a single gulp, and placed it firmly atop a random table. He continued making his way to a dark corner, away from prying eyes while still having view of the whole party. Once by the pillar, he leaned against it and nursed his second drink, this time savoring the liquid for at least a good five minutes.

He fucking hated these parties. They were boring as hell with absolutely no eye candy. He knew he should have called in sick and just spent the night jerking off. The free booze just wasn't cutting it tonight, and the tie was starting to chafe...

His eyes scanned the crowd, somewhat curious to see who showed up tonight. His gaze instantly fell on Scarlet, who was chatting it up with some big shot who worked under Tuesti. The blonde woman swung her head back as she laughed loudly at something the balding man said. Reno couldn't help but look at her breasts for a moment, once again pitying the fact that they could belong to such a soul-less whore. He took another look at the man, only to realize he was also staring at Scarlet's tits. The little fucker.

Reno snorted and moved on, spotting Tseng and the President engaged in conversation. Both of them weren't frowning at all, which only meant that Tseng wasn't lying about it being a peaceful night. It had been that way ever since the attempted terrorist act against the company a fortnight ago. The redhead watched the two interact for a while before growing bored and resuming his spying. He tried looking for his partner and when there was no sight of Rude, figured the bald Turk went to hide in the bathroom for the night. The redhead was a little jealous he had to admit. At least there, he'd get privacy.

His eyes finally landed on a large splash of white, getting another chuckle from the Turk. Of course. The Vice President...

Rufus was seated at a table with that looker of a secretary he had. He and the woman were in good spirits, it seemed. She was in the middle of a story, her hands gesturing excitedly as her face lit up. Rufus was nodding his head, a look of interest on his face. Then he stopped her mid-sentence and leaned forward to whisper something in her ear. His secretary giggled and flushed slightly.

A tinge of jealousy surged through the redhead. The kid's secretary was good-looking. _Really_ good-looking, and under normal circumstances, the Turk would have been on her like a dog. But she worked under ShinRa, and protocol deemed relationships between coworkers to be absolutely forbidden -- If the President wasn't getting any ass in the office, apparently, then neither should anyone else. So one wrong look in Rufus's secretary's direction, and Reno would be sacked.

But, of course, it appeared there were exceptions to this rule. Reno wanted nothing better to do than to wipe off that smug expression off the Vice President's face...

He watched the two of them for a while, inwardly resenting the fact that the President's son could, and most likely would, get away with breaking the rules and could probably do just about anything he wanted, people included.

He loved his job, really. It allowed Reno to do things he wouldn't normally get away with. He liked stirring up trouble, loved the way everyone in Midgar spread terrible rumors about the Turks but shut up the minute they were in the room. ShinRa gave Reno the tremendous opportunity to bask in infamy, and he was grateful for it, and planned to stay there his whole life, or at least until past his prime.

But it was the minute details that got him annoyed, like pretty rich boys getting to fuck whoever they wanted without repercussions.

Fuck it, Reno thought. Let's drink. He looked around for another waiter with a platter, completely missing how Rufus's secretary turned her head and stared in his direction.

**

Two hours into the so-called festivities, and Reno was bored out of his fucking skull. The redhead eventually found Rude by a well-hidden potted plant, and spent a good remainder of that time with his partner, scoping the crowd and poking fun at the easy targets.

"All I'm sayin', partner, is that hey, we still got time after this ta' get wasted at a bar and find us chicks ta' get laid. Sound good?"

Rude shifted uncomfortably, looking straight ahead at the center of the room. "I'll pass, Reno."

"But why, man? Fuck! Ya gotta loosen up a little!"

"Be quiet; People are _staring_... Besides," the Turk straightened up and cracked his neck. "I already have a girlfriend."

Silence. "Yer shittin' me, man."

"I'm not."

"My ass," Reno replied, fishing into his pocket for his pack of cigarettes and his lighter. "What's her name then, huh?"

"Not here," Rude chastised as he gestured to the pack in Reno's hand, then pointing to an ornate glass door not too far from their position. "Take it outside. Tseng will have your head." Rude then tilted his head to the center floor. "And the President's about to make his speech."

Reno followed the man's eyes and sure enough, the President was standing in the center of the ballroom, straightening his suit. His son was next to him, looking a little shy, like a kid on his first day of school. Slowly, people from different corners of the room began to applaud the pair, gradually growing into a roaring standing ovation.

"Thank you, thank you!" The President yelled haughtily through the noise. "My pleasure, my pleasure. Take your seats please... Thank you all for coming..."

"Aw, fuck," Reno exclaimed, causing a few people around them to turn and give the Turk a dirty look. He ignored them with ease. "Can't handle another minute of this without a smoke, man. Balcony's off-limits?"

Rude nodded. Reno snorted, rolling his eyes and flicking the lighter open. "Ya comin', partner?"

"Hell no," Rude said, rewarding them with another dirty look. The room was quiet now, save for the President's voice. The bald Turk looked down quickly in embarrassment but continued in a softer voice. "It's cold out there."

"Yeah, yeah, fine. Anyone needs me, I'll be on the balcony." He lightly punched the other Turk on the shoulder before heading for the balcony's door, absentmindedly listening to the President introducing his son.

"I'm very, very pleased to finally introduce to you all, the Vice President and Heir of the ShinRa Electric Power Company: My son, Rufus Shinra."

Another burst of applause. The Turk didn't bother to look back. "Gimmie a break," he muttered, as he pushed open the door and crept outside.

**

The night air was refreshing and not as cold as Rude made it out to be, the big drama queen. The silence was also an added plus. The Turk grinned to himself as he approached the edge that overlooked the city. Indeed, the night was thriving; the lights below were almost mesmerizing. Reno hummed in approval at the sight, promising himself he'd be down there having the time of his life the following night.

The redhead rested his lean arms on the tall silver railing once he lit his cigarette and took his first drag. Gaia, that was good. Another intake like that and he might need another one immediately after this. He wasn't necessarily a chain-smoker, but he occasionally enjoyed overindulging.

He held in the smoke for several moments on his third drag, and then blew it out into the night. Reno watched it dissipate and vanish. The large sense of tranquility that a cigarette gave him was overtaking him at the moment, and he wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of the night out here, just him and his pack of smokes.

So he did just that for the following twenty minutes. Once his first was out, he threw the butt over the railing and watched it plummet until it was just a speck in the night. Then he lit up another one. His mind wandered, drifting to several topics like food, Mako, and the chick from the week before. Pretty little thing.

Behind him, he heard the balcony door open and shut close, followed by footsteps heading his way. "Finally," the redhead stated, taking the time then to stretch his limbs. "Ya bored now?"

"I've been bored, actually," was the smooth reply, and to Reno's dismay, it sent chills down his spine. Just his luck...

He grunted in reply, hoping the kid would take the hint that he wasn't in the mood for conversation.

"I thought the balcony was off-limits," Rufus Shinra remarked, reaching the railing and coming into Reno's peripheral vision. The blond glanced sidelong at the Turk.

"It is," Reno responded, and then turned fully to face the Vice President. "'S why I came out here." He then pointed to the door, flicking his cigarette and dropping a few ashes on the ground. "Ain't this shindig for ya? Should be in there celebratin'. Don't mind me."

"I've seen enough sycophants for one night. Anyway, I thought some fresh air sounded nice and I didn't think anyone else would be out here." Rufus stopped for a moment, his eyes zooming in on the cigarette in Reno's hand. "You wouldn't happen to have another, would you?"

"Plenty," the redhead replied, and dug into his pockets once more to fetch another cancer stick. "Ya smoke? Didn't know that."

The blonde merely hummed in response, apparently immersed in the scenery before him. "What a view. Midgar's definitely a different city than Junon. It's only expanded since I left, I see. Very nice." He grabbed the cigarette in between his fingers and waited for the Turk to light it.

"Oh yeah, huh," Reno said, somewhat disinterested. "Ya used to head Junon."

"I did," Rufus said, pulling the cancer stick away from his mouth to cough. He recovered fairly quickly. "You've been there?"

"Gotten a mission or two there, yeah. Nice city. Nice chicks."

The blonde didn't respond.

Well, that was a shitty conversation. Granted, the blonde was a lot more talkative than last time, but at that point, Reno just wanted the man to leave and go back to his celebration. Leave him alone and stay outside with his smoke. He was there first, anyway.

"So," Rufus eventually broke the silence. "Aside from the obligatory 'Because I can,' why else are you out here? Not having fun, I assume?"

Reno snorted, shook his head, and then pointed behind him. "Not my kind of fun, man. No offense or anything. Just not what I'd call fun."

Rufus took this in with a pensive expression. He didn't say anything for a few seconds. "Then what is?" Suddenly the blonde's voice dropped several octaves that sent shivers down the Turk's spine. If he didn't know better...

But the blonde's almost sultry expression disappeared with his laughter. "I sincerely hope you're aware that watching my father and his lapdogs vying for his attention isn't exactly what I'd deem a good time, either."

Huh, Reno thought. Interesting. He was far more... human now than he was back in the Vice President's office. Well, not really. But he wasn't coming off /as/ creepy. Still, Reno remained cautious. "Yeah, well..." He glanced back at the door. Where the hell was Rude when he needed him?

"Ah," he heard Rufus say, and he turned to observe him. The cigarette was still in his hand, burning as he looked off into the distance. "I make you uncomfortable. I see."

For some odd reason, the redhead felt a little ashamed at being found out -- and just like that, the blonde continued. "It's quite all right. I've overstayed my welcome, I realize."

Damn, the kid was intuitive. Or knew how to read people perfectly. Something his father was terrible at. Hm. Despite the creepiness, the kid was impressive.

"'S not that," Reno lied as he nervously rubbed the back of his neck with a cold hand. Perhaps sucking up will prove beneficial. "Just, uh... I mean, your uh, status, sir. Ya really wanna be talkin' to me?"

Instead, all he got was an incredulous look. "The formalities, they... don't really suit you... And you don't have to flatter me. It's not in your nature." Rufus casually leaned against the railing. "At least, it doesn't seem like it would be."

Reno blinked, unsure of what to do and what Rufus was getting at.

The young Vice President sighed and then stuck a hand into his jacket. "I came outside to celebrate in my own way," he finally said. He pulled out two miniature bottles of scotch, a small smirk on his face. "You can join me if you'd like. The more the merrier."

Reno stared at the bottles in stunned amazement. Was this Rufus Shinra? Daddy's spoiled rich kid with awkward tendencies? The Turk shook his head in disbelief, reaching for one of the liquor bottles. "Ya sure yer the President's kid?"

**

The amount of scotch wasn't enough to get him drunk or heavily buzzed, but it did relax him enough to actually try conversing with the Vice President. The blonde apparently wasn't as young as he looked. He was only a couple years younger than Reno, but not enough to appropriately keep calling him a kid. He shared a similar fear of clowns (though not caused by an ill-fated birthday incident like Reno), and even advised the Turk on which Chocobos to bet for the races. Rufus actually seemed like a normal, intelligent guy -- who just happened to be inheriting the most powerful company in the world in the near future. No big deal.

"I gotta say," Reno said after a while. "I had ya pegged differently in my head. Like, more like yer old man or somethin', ya know?"

At this, the blonde puckered his lips in distaste as if he just ate a whole lemon. Reno could hardly suppress a chuckle. "A spoiled, pompous ass, you mean?" the blonde asked for clarification.

"Pretty much," Reno boldly replied. It didn't seem the Vice President would snitch on him anyway. He lit up another cigarette.

Rufus gave him a critical eye as the Turk blew out smoke in the air. "I can be," he admitted. "But I_ refuse_ to ever be compared to my father. What my father lacks in brains, I have double. I've my wits about me and don't tolerate meaningless displays of feigned loyalty like he does." He was looking down now, into the scattered buildings and streets. "I know what it takes to run a company and the army behind it. He doesn't, and neither do the people working for him." His gaze flickered to Reno now. "Except you. You march to the beat of your own drum, don't you?" He asked rather quietly, almost contemplating the thought himself.

Reno was starting to feel uncomfortable again. He focused on the railing. "Uh, well... Me, Rude and Tseng aren't, I guess, uh... fazed by that kind of shit. Hired ta kill, not kneel. Fuck that shit, man."

"The Turks, yes. Shinra's wild dogs, and I do mean that in the best way possible. Doing the deeds so the corporate heads won't get their suits dirty... I've a respect for you three. I can only assume my father thinks differently."

"Ya got that right. He'll never kill us 'cause he needs us, but he's still a dick. No offense, sir."

"Formalities aren't necessary. In any case, I only hope to gain a mutual respect with you three. Do you think that'll be possible sometime in the near future?"

Suddenly it all made sense. The redhead almost laughed in glee, he was so relieved. Here, he was getting the impression that the Vice President was coming on to him... It seemed all he wanted was some sort of pact with the Turks. Sure, he didn't really comprehend why Rufus didn't discuss this with the _Head_ Turk in charge, but Tseng was a busy and rather intimidating man... though not quite as domineering as Rufus himself... and Rude wasn't exactly the "talk-business" type. It made perfect sense somewhat.

"Ya scratch our back, we scratch yers?" This time, he blew the cigarette smoke through his nostrils, taking Rufus's speech in. "'Course, I can't exactly speak for the boss, but so far, sounds good ta me. I ain't in charge, though."

The blonde nodded. "Of course," he said, and then added moments later with a chuckle; "I can only imagine what my father assigns you daily. Mundane tasks?"

Reno lazily shrugged, leaning against the railing. "Ya bet, man. Gonna watch his ass tomorrow night." He crinkled his nose, suddenly remembering that he wouldn't be able to get some the next night either. He _really _should have called in sick...

"And with his attitude, I can only imagine how aggravating the babysitting assignments can get." The Turk nodded in agreement and threw his smoke off the balcony again, watching it descend until it was out of sight.

"Reno," Rufus said. Reno turned to look at him.

"Yeah?"

"What if I could get you out of your assignment?"

"I'd say you were shittin' me, but go on."

Rufus chuckled. "It wouldn't be so difficult. He prefers his SOLDIERs, anyway," he said with a roll of his eyes. "You are free to say no, but I'm actually meeting with a potential client for dinner tomorrow night and will need someone there in case things turn sour. It's not as exciting as your currently assigned task, but you'd be in better company, I assure you."

It wasn't a bad deal. The President was sure to end up ripping him a new one for no real reason, and he'd much rather avoid that. Plus, it sounded like Rufus's gig would end earlier, so there was still a chance he could finish his night at a bar. Not a bad deal at all. "Alright, sure. Sounds good ta me," Reno said and extended his arm to shake the blonde's hand.

Rufus's face almost lit up like a Christmas tree, but then again, the redhead could have imagined it. "Glad to hear it," the Vice President exclaimed, and then glanced at his rather expensive-looking wristwatch. "Seems I should be getting back inside. You should as well."

"Eh," Reno uttered, swatting at the balcony door. "I'm good for now, man. See ya tomorrow then."

"Right. Tomorrow. We'll take a company car. Good," he rambled with a smirk, and then realizing it, quickly turned on his heel and headed inside. "Good night, Reno. My office at 7."

The Turk didn't bother to turn around. He simply waved him off and had a final smoke before heading back in himself. He wondered why Rude hadn't poked his head out all that time but the redhead answered his own question when he looked at his phone and saw that he had a message from Tseng telling him he was free to leave. An hour had passed since the message was sent.

Just my luck, he thought, and then questioned why Rude _still_ didn't make an effort to inform Reno that they weren't needed. Then, snickering to himself, Reno concluded Rude went to go meet up with his alleged girlfriend. Still laughing and getting looks from those still at the feast, Reno sauntered off to salvage the remaining portion of his evening. He needed some new nudie magazines anyway.


	7. Like Old Times

**Author's Note: **In which I remind you that this is rated M, and you probably shouldn't be reading this if you're not of proper age... to be reading... Mature-rated fiction...

* * *

_Chapter 7: Like Old Times_

The three Turks spent another half-hour in the bar until Tseng received a call from Rude informing him that Rufus was ready to leave. The trio promptly chugged what was remaining of their drinks and left soon after that.

It wasn't a long walk back to the ship, but the silence hanging above them wasn't doing much to lighten Reno's mood. It was Tseng's idea that they go have a couple of drinks, and sure, it was probably to help get his mind off how he royally fucked up earlier. The alcohol was working for a while, but he was definitely going to need more than two drinks to make him forget that once he entered that ship, he was probably getting fired.

Reno looked forward between his two colleagues in front of him. Tseng was walking as rigid as ever, and Reno could see Elena biting her bottom lip nervously. In a way, it was comforting to know that they were worried about his fate. Maybe he should start being nicer to the rookie... and if Tseng could somehow get him out of the shithole he was in, he'd take him out to get piss drunk.

Rude was waiting for them by the ramp that led up to the ship. He nodded to the three Turks once they were in front of him and stepped aside.

"Any news?" Tseng asked. "Has the ship been thoroughly checked? Has the next destination been announced?"

Of course Tseng knew where they were headed. Reno rolled his eyes. The redundant questions were his way of subtly asking if Rufus was still angry. Still, Reno perked up to hear his partner's answers.

"The President is still heading to Costa del Sol, where he'll be transferred to a helicopter and taken back to Midgar, with the four of us accompanying him," Rude replied in a formal fashion. Instantly, Elena let out a relieved sigh. She clutched at her chest and pulled Reno in for a hug. The redhead scowled, but was a little elated to hear he wasn't getting fired today.

"However," Rude continued, and the redhead could _feel_ his heart sinking. A 'however' was never good. Why was there a 'however' now?

"The boss wants a word with Reno."

"Aw, ya can't be fuckin' serious, man," Reno groaned. Elena released him from her arms and frowned.

"'Tell Reno I need him. Now.' Exact words." The bald Turk peered down so his dark eyes were visible. "Sorry, partner. You're not off the hook yet."

"Don't tell me you weren't expecting it, Reno," Tseng interjected, with Elena furiously nodding her head. The head Turk began walking up the ramp. "Be thankful you'll only receive a salted lecture, and won't have to go searching for a new job."

The redhead wasn't in the mood to retort, so he said nothing. The man had a point anyway. So instead, he watched Elena and Tseng walk up the ramp first and followed after Rude. "So how was it, partner? He in a good mood?"

Although the man's back was facing the redhead, Reno still saw him shake his head. This elicited a groan. "I'm fucked, man."

* * *

"Come in," Reno heard the young President say from the other side of the door. The sound of the man's voice was enough to tense his body. He wasn't in the mood at all for whatever the hell Rufus had in store for him. Actually, he really had no clue what Rufus was going to do or say, and while Reno could appreciate a little unpredictability in life at times, this particular scenario wasn't exactly his cup of beer.

Suppressing a sigh, Reno turned the knob and let himself in. A quick scan of the room showed they were alone. Of course they were. Why he'd hoped Rufus would keep a SOLDIER or two at bay was unknown to him, but hey. Dreamers can dream. "Ya wanted to see me?" he asked, and was a little proud of the casual tone in his question.

"Lock the door," Rufus said, his back towards the Turk.

The statement immediately sent blood straight to Reno's dick.

He kicked the door closed with his foot and did exactly what the man said. His heart was beating fast now, anticipating whatever Rufus was going to want to do-

Whoa.

_Shit._

He hadn't experienced _this_ in a while. Of course they fucked not too long ago - Reno wasn't going to forget _that_ any time soon - but actually doing anything while they were both on the job and on duty... while employees and employers were walking around the cargo ship... Well, it had been a long time, and just hearing those three words from Rufus's mouth again was enough to involuntarily bring Reno's hand down to adjust the tent in his trousers.

Calm down, he thought. It wouldn't do anyone any good if Rufus saw him eager for whatever he was planning. The Turk's eyes focused on the man's back then. Rufus was staring out the room's large window. It was actually a pretty decent sight. Reno looked around the room again, appreciating the decorated bar and loveseat on one side of the room. The ship they were boarding was merely for cargo, but leave it to Rufus to turn a standard cargo boat to his own liking.

Back to the situation at hand. He thought it best to drop the formalities - it's never worked for them, anyway. "Rufus," he started, taking a heavy step forward as the boat lurched. "I, uh... The cigs -"

"It's fine," Rufus said and turned his head. "It's fine. Come over here." The blond took a step aside as a gesture for the redhead to stand next to him.

The Turk approached his boss slowly. Had this been several months before - a year before - his strategy on advancing towards the blond would be very different. Instead, he found himself dawdling, unsure of what to say to start their conversation. It wasn't often they were left alone these days.

Rufus was still looking out that window, eyes eerily focused on the glass. Even when Reno was finally standing next to him, he didn't flinch. He just turned his head a few inches and cast a sidelong glance at his employee. "Well?"

Well, that was just it. What was he supposed to say? What was he supposed to do? The Turk unconsciously brought his right arm behind him to scratch his back. "Well, shit."

Maybe this was what they needed, actually. The abrupt end to their relationship was an elephant in the room. As awkward as this proceeding conversation would be, it was essential in order for them to move on. "Look, Rufus, ya gotta understa-"

"On your knees," Rufus interrupted. His face was empty of any obvious emotion. He only held his classic neutral expression - the one that got on Reno's nerves to this unholy fucking extent...

And yet, still, he asked: "What?"

The President turned his body this time, and Reno saw the blond steal a glance at the bulge in his pants. "Your knees," he repeated, and then Rufus reached down to palm his own growing erection.

The only thing Reno could hear at this point was his clamoring heart and the blood in his head. In fact, his entire body was thrumming with the reawakened need for the man in front of him. Suddenly, he was kneeling in front of his boss, moving the man's hand to replace it with his own. "Yeah, boss?" he replied at last, licking his lips. They had gotten dry in a matter of seconds. "What do you want me to use? My hands?" His fingers attempted curling around the bulge he was now rubbing his hand against, looking up and seeking a reaction from the blond.

Rufus's expression was still somewhat guarded, though his eyes were giving it away. They seemed clouded now. The blond backed up to brace himself against the window and bent his knees slightly. "No," he said, and it was an octave lower than his usual tone. "Tongue."

A wicked grin crept onto Reno's face. "Yeah? Tongue?" Gaia, was he trembling? It felt like he was. His hands shook as he unzipped the white trousers. Reno then gently shoved the pants and boxers downward, with no protest from the blond, until they were at mid-thigh.

He looked up once more, as he always did when he was in this position. Rufus raised an eyebrow, as _he_ always did when he was waiting for that first touch. Eventually, the blond would grow impatient and grab Reno's head with one hand, urging him on. And then Reno would get to work. It always worked out that way. But now. Now. Now, Reno was taking his time, appreciating the sight that was level with him. Rufus's cock was beautiful, pink, and already erect and glistening with the man's arousal. Gaia, the fucking scent of him was enough to send Reno over the edge. He could unzip his own pants and start jerking himself then and there, to the sight of the man's cock waiting to be tended to.

He chose not to do that, but instead released a low moan, indicating his approval.

"Very impolite to stare," Rufus murmured. "Are you finished now?"

"Not yet," the other man answered. He placed his hands against the blond's thighs, gripping them roughly and embedding his fingerprints in the skin. Slowly, he began to massage them, moving his fingers in circles but still refusing to touch the erection in front of him. As expected, Rufus grabbed the top of Reno's head, clutching at the short strands of red. He shifted closer until his cock was centimeters away from the Turk's face.

"Reno," he said through gritted teeth. He didn't beg, but the tone was enough to imply it.

"Say it like that again, yeah?" The redhead teased, but opened his mouth anyway. Reno leaned in and closed his lips around the head of the cock while his right hand wrapped around the shaft. He hummed in approval, closing his eyes and relishing the musky taste of his former lover. Fuck, it was too long since he had that cock in his mouth. Why had it been so long? What the fuck was he thinking? He slowly moved his tongue around the tip, moaning again at the taste. _Fuck._

He heard a sharp intake of breath, and felt the hand on his scalp tighten its hold. Rufus loosened his stance, and brought more of his weight against the window.

Reno slid the head out of his mouth and began pumping his hand slowly, starting a steady, agonizing pace. He leaned in again to lick the underside of the man's cock, from the bottom up. He inserted the head in his mouth again and sucked eagerly. Another hum was heard, but it didn't come from him this time. He popped the cock out of his mouth and smirked. "What was that?"

Rufus said nothing. Instead he exhaled and tightly closed his eyes. "Look so good," Reno commented huskily, sliding the cock in and out of his mouth with every statement. "Fuckin' missed this cock of yers in my mouth… Bet yer hand was getting tired, yeah? Fuck, you taste so good... Don't hold back."

He sucked hard, slurping and tasting Rufus's salty pre-cum with each swirl of his tongue. His other hand reached for the blond's sac, massaging and cupping his balls for added sensation. Meanwhile he kept jerking Rufus's cock, quickening the pace by only a margin. The blond's dick was wet with saliva now, shining under the sunlight coming in from the window. Reno looked up and saw Rufus's face slightly contorted in pleasure. His mouth was open, but his eyes were still closed. But he was getting there.

"How do you like it, baby?" Reno slurped around the man's cock, trailing his tongue on the vein that ran along the side.

There was a moment's hesitation before Rufus answered. "Could be better," he gasped, and then added, "You've gotten rusty."

The Turk stopped his movements altogether, only slightly offended at the statements. Rufus was talking shit like he always did. But if he wanted more, he'd get more. "Is that so?" He sucked the man's dick for a few seconds, and then, took in more of his length in his mouth. There was a small cry that came from the blond. Bingo.

More and more, as much as he could, inside his mouth. His jaw was irritating now, but he knew a mouthful of dick was what got Rufus off. His gaze flickered up and sure enough, Rufus's eyes were open, brimming and half-lidded. Reno was focused on the sight, the man's mouth still hanging open. "Reno..."

The Turk's eyes began to water, so he pulled back and released. Strings of his saliva were still attached to the other man's penis, and he was pretty sure he looked a mess. "Like that, Rufus? Fuck, baby..." The added quantity of saliva was proving to be a good lube substitution, so he started pumping faster. "Like seein' me choking on yer dick? That it?"

That statement alone was the breaking point. Suddenly Rufus's attitude changed. He moaned loudly and threw his head back, hitting the glass behind him. With his hand still on Reno's head, he pulled the Turk forward and thrust his cock inside the man's open mouth. Reno just grinned and took in what he could, until he felt the tip hit the back of his throat. Rufus groaned again, thrusting steadily, in and out of his Turk's mouth.

Reno meanwhile kept pumping, harder and faster. He eventually dropped one of his hands to finally unzip himself. His own dick was crying for attention, and while he loved sucking Rufus off, he was going to have to start jerking himself lest he lose his mind. Rufus's cock was shoved in and out of his mouth, and Reno simply took it, his lips quickly turning bruised and red with each thrust. He gagged once or twice, but it was nothing he wasn't used to.

He knew Rufus was getting close. His thrusts were getting slightly erratic and off-tempo. Glancing upward, he saw Rufus gritting his teeth with his eyes closed. He was breathing heavily, and his bangs were clinging to his damp forehead.

Reno pulled away and relaxed his mouth and jaw for a second. "Ready now?"

Rufus nodded curtly and caught his breath. The Turk was about to shove his cock back in his mouth when the blond stopped him with a stern hand and shook his head. "No," he uttered, panting heavily. "Don't swallow. On your face."

This earned the blond a quirked eyebrow, but Reno wasn't about to contest. Once Rufus was done, it was his turn, and he was very sure he would go insane if he didn't pop soon.

"Got it, boss," he answered mockingly, and sped up his hand. His hand slapped back and forth as he pumped. He watched Rufus's expressions, observed how his mouth dropped open yet again. Rufus was almost there. His icy blue eyes were enough to tell him.

"I'm... Almost... Reno... Fuck... _Fuck_!"

Reno braced himself and perched his head closer. Rufus let out a guttural groan and then backed up a bit, as white globs of cum landed on the Turk's face. Reno closed his eyes and felt a drop on his lip, another on his cheek, and a large spurt of something warm in between his eyes. Rufus cried out again, though he stopped thrusting into Reno's hand. Cum trickled down the man's cock and onto Reno's fingers that were still wrapped around the shaft. After a few seconds, the Turk opened his eyes and grinned.

"Dirty fuckin' bastard," he said, and darted his tongue out to taste the drop on his lip. Rufus sighed and relaxed his legs, slumping downward somewhat. He was still standing and hovering over the Turk.

Before one of them said anything else, there was an eager thumping at the door.

"Mister President, sir!" A voice cried out. "There's an emergency!"

And just like that, it was back to normal. Rufus quickly pulled his pants up, fixed his bangs and wiped his hands on the Turk's suit. "Clean yourself up," he said, and before Reno could determine the gravity of the possible situation, he was alone. Reno sat there, disheveled, dirty, and reeking of sex, his face smeared with the semen of a former lover.

He'd never felt so ashamed.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Writing up the timeline for this story. So far, so good. I might have to tweak a few sentences here and there in the chapters but nothing drastic. I haven't royally fucked up yet. This is shocking. I'd really appreciate a review. I've been struggling this week rereading and writing, thinking, "Wait. Would they say this?" Mostly Rufus. If my Reno is a bit wonky, it's on purpose.


	8. A Warning Sign?

**Author's Note:** Okay, guys. The timeline. Firstly, this is somewhat AU, meaning I don't strictly follow ALL canon events that have happened (I'm referring to Before Crisis, here). Now, I totally understand my switching gets confusing. I intentionally wrote it this way because I felt I could emphasize my points more strongly. The ODD-numbered chapters are present-day. The EVEN-numbered chapters are in the past. I hope that clarifies.

Also, "Red." Whoever you are. Your review made my days. :) Actually, all your reviews did. Hugs and cookies.

* * *

_(Chapter 8: A Warning Sign)_

"Come in."

Reno hesitantly walked into the office with his thumb pointing behind him. "I was gonna wait outside, but yer secretary's, uh... not there."

"I know," Rufus responded. He was looking at his office window's reflection to help him adjust his black tie. "I sent her home early." He turned around and gave Reno a once-over.

Realization dawned on the Turk. "Shit, was this a formal thing? Yer old man is always baggin' on me fer not wearing the fuckin' tie and all. I can borrow one from Rude, I think he's still -"

"That won't be necessary," the blond quickly responded. "You're well as it is."

"Ya sure? I don't want this deal not to go down just 'cause I wasn't dressed fer the occasion, get me?"

Rufus shook his head and headed for the door. "It won't be a problem, I assure you. My personal transportation is downstairs in the private garage. Come. We'll be late for our reservation." And then, much to Reno's surprise, called out as he walked off, "You look nice, by the way."

The Turk thought this strange and looked down at his outfit. It was his standard Turk uniform, so he didn't know why the Vice-President had to point it out. He frowned. He washed his pants in the morning, though. Guess they were dirty enough to notice.

"Thanks?" Reno eventually replied. He furrowed his brow, but decided not to ask. The kid was weird, anyway. He knew this by now. "So, where we goin', sir?"

"Rufus," he corrected, and slowed his pace so the other could catch up with him. "And a restaurant that's decently close by. Above the plate. The Dragonfly is a popular place, but not nearly as any others within a ten-block radius of this building. We won't be hounded there."

"Of course," Reno automatically responded. They were in the elevator now, heading for the garage. "Listen, uh, thanks and all fer gettin' me outta workin' with yer old man tonight. I owe ya." He said this casually and glanced out of the glass of the elevator, watching them descend further down.

Rufus nodded and spoke when the doors opened to a quiet, empty structure. "Don't mention it, Reno. What are friends for?"

At this, the Turk smirked. While he supposed their friendship was established the night before, it was still pretty weird that the President's son was warming up to him. Hell, he still thought this was all some sort of joke.

Or maybe at one point later tonight, the kid was going to ask him personal questions about how he enjoyed working for the company and all that other bullshit. Reno knew he was getting played. He just knew it.

Still, a nice dinner didn't sound so bad right now - At least, he _hoped_ the kid would pay for his dinner. He'd been on assignments like these with his father, and the old man would pay if he was in a good mood. The rest of the times, Reno just stood there and waited until he was off-duty so he could get a bite to eat at a fast-food chain.

"After you," Rufus announced, and opened the limousine's door for the Turk. Reno was too lost in his thoughts to point out anything peculiar about this.

Reno didn't tell Rude or Tseng about his change in assignments. Well, he supposed Tseng knew already. The man had entered his office earlier that day to inform Reno that he wasn't watching the President that night anymore. Reno nodded, but Tseng had dropped the conversation after that.

He didn't know why he didn't tell Rude. Part of him didn't think it was very relevant enough to mention, but that was a lie. Plus, little or not, he told his partner everything. And come to think of it, he didn't tell the bald Turk about last time he was with Rufus back when the building was on lockdown. Reno scratched his head. That was weird.

Of course, he guessed he was still a little uncomfortable.

And then again, he was probably thinking too much about it all. Why in Gaia's name was he still sober...

He drifted back to reality at that point. Rufus was casually seated on the opposite side of the limousine. It was an arrogant display of luxury, Reno noted, and he couldn't help but dislike the blond at that moment. "Ain't a limo a bit flashy for a small meeting?" he heard himself ask.

The blond did not seem fazed by the question at all. Rufus merely blinked and pushed his bangs out of his face. He took his time with his answer. "I suppose so," he finally replied. "But it's a slightly subtle way of presenting your power and capabilities. What might seem superfluous to many, is an example of what potential investments can turn into." When the Turk stayed quiet, he continued. "It's a very pompous tactic that's more to my father's taste in handling business." At that, the blond grimaced, which Reno thought interesting. "I can admit, however, that it brings results. It gives off a good impression, to put it simply. What do you think?"

Reno shrugged. He wasn't expecting an actual speech about it. "Makes sense," he said, and looked out the tinted window, completely missing the blond's frown. "So, who're you meeting with today? Anything I need to know?" Not that he cared, but he really had nothing to talk about, and their "friendship" was still relatively new where a long silence felt awkward.

Rufus, again, took his time responding. "There's nothing important for you to note. Just relax and let the night run its course."

Taking this as a hint to stop asking questions, Reno simply nodded and stayed quiet for the remainder of the car ride, which wasn't very long. Five minutes passed before the limousine slowed its trek. The Turk perked up and curiously looked out the window again to catch a glimpse of the restaurant, but the limousine turned onto another block. Before he could question this, Rufus provided an answer.

"It's to avoid any potential paparazzi," he explained. "I've arranged for us to enter through the back, undetected. We also have a private booth so no one eating inside will disturb us. It's just added precautions. Half the city still can't recognize me, I've been gone for so long." He said that last sentence with bitterness, and Reno wanted to ask why he was positioned in Junon for such a long time, but decided to save it for later.

Rufus exited the car first and offered a hand to the Turk, but the Turk unconsciously shoved it aside. Reno dusted himself off as he slumped out of the limousine. He casually strolled back behind the blond, which, for a fleeting moment, looked as if it was aggravating Rufus. Rufus turned around and motioned for the Turk to come closer, but Reno had a better vantage point behind him. It was best he trail a little behind lest someone grab and assault the Vice-President. Surely the kid knew that. Well, he supposed, that's why he was the Turk and the kid, the VP.

The Turk would have been impressed at the private booth they were in, had he not attended previous business dinners like this. In fact, he would have also marveled at the limousine, but just like Rufus said, it was his father's favorite mode of transportation. It was nothing new.

Just as he had expected, the booth was indeed set apart from the rest of the restaurant. Reno quickly observed that there were only two chairs at the table, and he couldn't help feeling disappointed. Guess he wasn't eating tonight; Guess Rufus was a prick just like his father.

Rather than share his disapproval of arrangements, the Turk remained in a standing position, a foot away from the table. The big shot that Rufus was there to speak with hadn't arrived yet apparently. Reno hoped he would. The sooner he could get out of here, the better.

"Reno."

Reno flicked his gaze over at the blond. Rufus was giving him a curious look. "You can sit down, you know."

Weird. Had Rufus not done this in a while? He answered without sounding annoyed. "Guy will probably be here in a few minutes. Gotta stay sharp, yeah?"

Another strange expression passed on Rufus's face. It was a mixture of pain, confusion, and disappointment. Maybe he was constipated. Whatever it was, it stopped the blond from speaking for half a minute. Reno had turned away by then, but eventually the Vice-President found his voice.

"I insist you sit down, Reno," he said very quietly. "I'll take care of it."

It wasn't an order, but Reno couldn't disobey the request anyway. Reluctantly, the Turk's legs started to move and he quickly sat down across from the other man. This was going wrong, and the more he thought about it, the more he realized Rufus probably didn't know what he was doing. He had seen enough of these dinners go down, and when he ate, he'd sit at another table. A table extremely close to the President's, but a different tabe nonetheless. But Rufus seemed experienced enough to know the mechanics of business ventures. Hell, he even went off on that speech about limousines.

He was definitely confused.

Their waiter promptly arrived after Reno had taken his seat. "Mr. Shinra," the man greeted and bowed. Reno rolled his eyes and caught himself sneaking a glance at Rufus's reaction. Rufus nodded in return and had a hint of a small smirk on his face.

Gimmie a break, Reno thought.

"How will you start the evening, sir?" the waiter asked. Reno couldn't help but notice the man hadn't looked his way at all since he arrived at the foot of their table.

Rufus glanced at Reno, and said, "Red wine. Two glasses. Thank you." The waiter nodded and left.

It was then that Reno realized they hadn't asked for an extra chair. "Aw shit," he uttered, and when Rufus looked over his way, he explained. "Forgot to ask fer another chair. Sir, I gotta tell ya, I probably shouldn't be sitting in the guy's seat when he gets here. Not the best idea, yeah?"

The blond pursed his lips again and adorned that same painful expression from before. "True," he replied, even quieter than before. But that was it.

Reno was getting irritated. It really was none of his business, but if the big shot got here and yelled at Reno for having the audacity to sit in his chair... Well, he wasn't in the mood for that. Shit. Reno started tapping his fingers on the table in agitation. How long did he have? An hour? Two hours? Fuck, this was stupid.

Meanwhile, the blond was engrossed in the restaurant's menu. Reno probably thought he had the right idea, so he followed suit.

The waiter returned fairly quickly with a small table on wheels and a bottle of wine. He opened it in front of the men, grabbed two wine glasses from the table, set them down, and poured the red liquid into both glasses. "Enjoy, gentlemen," he said. "Do you need more time to read our menu, or are you ready now?"

"I think we've made our decision," the blond coolly replied. Rufus then began to order a rather expensive plate whose ingredients were imported from Wutai. His instructions were elaborate, and Reno was sure the man was going to forget to request another chair. Of course.

The waiter turned to him. "And you, sir?"

"Yeah," Reno said, "But first, we're gonna nee -"

"He'll have the same."

He shot the man a glare. "What?"

"Great," the waiter cheerily stated, and began to push the small cart off. "Your plates will be finished as quickly as possible." He strolled away.

Reno felt cheated, somehow. Granted, the plate Rufus ordered was fairly expensive, so maybe cheated wasn't the right word... But fuck, what the _hell_?

He couldn't take it anymore.

"Sir, what the hell is goin' on?"

"Hm? I'm sorry?"

"Ya didn't order for an extra chair, the guy is already fifteen minutes late," Reno began to list off, and glanced at his watch as he stated his second complaint. "I'm not sittin' in another table... Wait."

Suddenly, the Turk stopped speaking. Reno remained silent for several moments, maintaining eye contact with the man opposite him. They both blinked.

"...No one else is coming, huh?"

Rufus didn't react, and for a moment, Reno thought he might have just made an ass of himself by making the accusation. However, Rufus didn't acknowledge the claim either. The blond looked down at the table and picked up his wine glass, taking a slow sip.

Fire was in his eyes, Reno was sure of it. He knew this was a set-up. Was he going to start the questioning now or wait until the food arrived? To hell with this, the Turk thought. He could kiss ass to the President, but the kid was an entirely different matter.

He sighed and was getting ready to leave, but Rufus reached his hand forward to stop him. "I'll explain."

Reno really didn't care at this point, but something held him in his seat anyway.

Rufus lifted his glass and casually examined it as he spoke, swishing the red contents in it delicately. "There is no meeting tonight. It's only the two of us, I must admit."

"What the fuck are ya playin' at?" the Turk immediately spat. White lie or not, he hated being deceived.

"Truthfully, I just wanted company." He set the glass down and brushed his bangs from his face. "So I made up an assignment for you."

It was probably the stupidest thing he'd ever heard - and Reno would have bet the little life savings he had that it was complete bullshit. Except... He focused his eyes harder on the blond's face.

Was that a pink tinge on Rufus's cheeks?

Rufus was keeping eye contact with the Turk, as he nonchalantly tapped his finger against the wine glass. He was the epitome of coolness - except he was blushing, and while the man would have liked to seem that his admittance wasn't embarrassing him at the current moment, his cheeks were saying otherwise.

The kid was blushing. Cute... in some type of pitiful, infantile way.

Reno swallowed because somehow, his throat had gotten dry. "Okay," he said, and looked around. Maybe the waiter would come and eliminate the weird tension at the table. "Uh... what?"

"Well, aren't I allowed to treat my friend to a dinner sometimes?" Rufus's voice was slightly louder. He had regained his confidence.

The Turk snorted. "Why'd ya tell me I was on assignment then?"

"Would you have agreed to come if I'd invited you? Truthfully?"

Reno thought about this for a moment. Would he have agreed? He'd gone to plenty of bars with his partners, but how long did it take for them to reach that level of friendship? As soon as he was paired with Rude, they went out in the town to get drunk and get laid, but was their situation different? Rude was his partner, after all. They _had_ to get along. Tseng, on the other hand, was ranked above him, and saw to all his work. He recalled way back when he first started in the company, and Tseng had invited him somewhere a week or two into their acquaintanceship. So, really, he shouldn't have felt singled out at all.

So why did he?

"I don't know," Reno replied and took his first sip of his own wine. He was leaning more towards a "no," but Rufus didn't need to know that.

"Exactly," Rufus said, as if the answer proved his point anyway.

"Did ya need to lie about it, though? Ya could've just asked. Jeeze, I feel like I'm on a... Look, I'm just sayin' ya shoulda gone about it another way, yeah?" He really felt like he was lecturing a child. How much younger was Rufus again?

More hesitation. Rufus sure liked taking his sweet time answering questions. "I suppose not," he conceded, and then continued with a chuckle. "My father always... lectures me about this. I tend to do unnecessary things to get what I want."

Those last words sent shivers down Reno's body. Maybe it was the almost dark look on the blond's face. The kid inherited most of his mother's physical features, or at least that's what Tseng had told him, but for a brief second, he very much looked like his old man. It was curious, if not altogether frightening.

"Yeah?" Reno replied, but their food had arrived at that precise moment. Any remaining thoughts in his head about leaving had vanished. Food was in front of him, after all. Another hour or two of the Vice-President wouldn't harm him.


	9. Try, Try

**Author's Note:** I have failed in giving you an interesting chapter in a timely manner. It's not very exciting, but I realized I had to make sure I covered several points in case I forget later and mess up royally. It's short. Apologies. Oh, but your reviews. I am so glad you all are enjoying this. I wish my appreciation was tangible.

* * *

Chapter 9: Try, try

That did _not_ go as planned.

Actually, that went the _complete opposite _way as planned.

However, that implied Reno had a plan to begin with. So really, that little tryst, that blowjob he gave Rufus on the cargo ship was just something he wasn't expecting. No big deal.

Except it _was_ a big deal, because it was unexpected. And why was it so unexpected?

Easy answer. He wasn't expecting it.

But he should have. Everything would have gone smoothly had Reno been expecting the unexpected and - even better - had stopped it from happening...

"Partner."

"Yeah?" The Turk shot up from his chair and instantly began mashing letters on his keyboard, pretending he was hard at work and typing up his already late report. Then, realizing it was only Rude, Reno relaxed his shoulders and sighed. "Jeeze, man. Ya scared the shit outta me." He ran a hand along the side of his face. "Thought you were Tseng or something."

"Oh. He knows you've been dozing for the past hour. He actually thought it was better to let you sleep."

Thoughtful. "Then why the hell did ya wake me?"

"Your, uh... face landed on a button there." The Turk pointed at the keyboard. "Your computer's been making a noise for the past five minutes."

"Oh," Reno dully replied. He shook his head. "Sorry, man. Had a long night, ya know? ...At the bar," he added for good measure.

Rude gave him an incredulous look behind the sunglasses. Reno sensed it. "Really? The usual dive?" The bald Turk sat down and made himself comfortable.

"Yeah," the redhead said weakly. Truth be told, he wasn't anywhere near the bar last night. After the drama and events surrounding the security breach inside the cargo ship, the four Turks eventually accompanied Rufus back to Midgar. Tseng had assigned them all to the President in case Sephiroth decided to show up again, but Rufus insisted he only needed a handful of SOLDIERs for the evening. The Turks then, had the night off, but the redhead ended up driving back to his old apartment and spending the night there.

It was one of the very few locations where he had privacy nowadays. The bar was another; Rufus wouldn't be caught dead in a seedy little place like Jack Rabbit's, but Reno needed some space to think and throw things around.

"Interesting," Rude said, getting comfortable in the chair. "Elena and I must have missed you. We didn't see you. Neither did Jack."

"I, uh... I was in the back, didn't want to be bothered, ya know? The uniform and all that shit, yeah?" Reno lamely offered, but he knew his partner wasn't buying it.

"Listen," Rude began. He cracked his fingers, and for a fleeting moment, Reno was afraid his partner was going to strike him for lying. Then he remembered it was one of those occasional quirks he did. The redhead sighed. The paranoia was really getting to him.

Rude heard the sigh and returned it with one of his own. "I know, I know. We're worried though."

Rude scratched the back of his head. Reno assumed the man was trying to find the right words to say. Rude wasn't exactly known for expressing his emotions, after all. "You've been acting stranger than usual," he finally offered.

"Nah, come on," Reno said, avoiding eye contact and finding new interest in his empty coffee mug on his desk. "I'm just tired, man. Can't sleep in the loft, yeah? Too cold. Went back to my old place to crash."

"And you slept over there."

"Yeah."

"Which is why you've been asleep here, for the past hour."

"Uh..."

Rude softly chuckled, but he pressed on. "What's going on, partner? Tseng and I have an idea, but..."

"Oh, yeah?" Reno casually drawled as he leaned back. There wasn't any point lying about it. Hell, the Turk was too distracted trying to figure out the situation between Rufus and him that he forgot to be discreet about it around his coworkers. The lecture he was about to receive was only inevitable. "Yer probably right then."

"So," Rude said and peered over his sunglasses before completely taking them off. "You're seeing Julia again."

Reno's eyes instantly looked up at the ShinRa camera at the corner. It was online, like all the other hundreds of security cameras in the building...

To hell with it, he thought, and shrugged. "Sorta, yeah. At least, I, uh. I saw her. Yeah." He straightened up in his chair.

Rude gave his partner a hard look before he exhaled loudly and adorned the dark shades once more.

A pang of guilt struck Reno at once. He always felt terrible when he disappointed his friend. Rude always had the man's best interest in mind, and he was never fond of secrets, let alone secrets involving "Julia." Briefly, Reno wondered how Tseng felt about his recent behaviour. No doubt he was concerned about Reno's struggling work performance, but did he care on a personal level? They were a family, after all.

"Look, man. It wasn't anything huge." He awkwardly shifted in his chair. "I just needed to straighten some stuff out with her, yeah? We're not back together or anything like that." Reno sarcastically chuckled. "Definitely learned my lesson."

Rude listened intently while Reno spoke, and nodded when he was done, seemingly satisfied with the man's answer. "Good to know. So I don't have to remind you why she's a bad idea?"

The redhead chuckled. It was always amusing to hear Rude unknowingly speak about Rufus like that. "Yeah, no reminders. Don't worry, it's all good."

"And the smoking?"

Right, the redheaded Turk thought with a sigh. He looked up at the ceiling and shook his head. A shrug of his shoulders. "I caved. Been stressin' lately, and I fuckin' caved. Not like I'm goin' through cartons or even packs, yeah? I'm gettin' a hold of myself, now." He raised his voice and looked out the door. "If anyone was worried about it, yo, then they coulda asked me in person, yeah?"

He heard no response from Tseng, but the typing from the other room slowed its pace.

"I think," Rude said, a hand hiding the small smile on his face, "that's it, partner." He stood up and turned to leave, but stopped and swiveled back once at the doorway.

Reno's head perked up. "Yeah?"

"Carrah," Rude stated, and then frowned. "Elena tells me she likes you a lot."

Reno snorted, and was unable to hide the bitterness in his voice. "Think we all know how Rufus feels about that one, right?"

"The boss hasn't ever stopped you from doing something stupid."

Reno laughed. His partner didn't know how incredibly accurate and wrong his statement was. Of course Rufus could never prevent the stupid things Reno does on a daily basis - and that even included listening to Rufus's insistent demanding. What was that word again? Paradox? Real big one, all right. Damned if he didn't, damned if he did.

"Right again, man. Heh. Thought I didn't leave an impression on her, actually. Guess the boss's secretaries are difficult to please as the boss, ya know?"

"You didn't sleep with her." It was a statement, not a question. Reno looked down, somewhat ashamed. He didn't want Rude to know about the problems he was having...

"Well, I... I didn't.. I wanted to, but..."

Rude nodded, and that was all Reno needed to say.

"You're lucky," Rude continued. "Carrah thought it was respectful. Elena said." Rude stood under the doorway for a few more seconds, searching for the words without sounding too awkward. "Take her out. Take your mind off of Jules."

"Jewels," Reno repeated with a nod. "Right."

"Do it soon, too," Rude offered a last piece of advice. "Elena said the President's working her like a dog."

"Huh." Somehow, that wasn't a surprise.

With that, Rude left the Turk's office, leaving Reno to think about his next move. He had been preoccupied so much with the mistakes he made during his last encounter with Rufus that he failed to realize the game continued, shamed or not.

They had already agreed to another date, but once Rufus found out about the first one, Reno was hesitant in calling Carrah back and setting up an actual day and time. For both their sakes, it was probably better to stop a relationship from forming. Reno was _still_ licking those old wounds.

He groaned and rubbed his eyes, tired and weary from his mind running off in several directions. He hadn't felt this kind of exhaustion in so long. He forgot how daunting it was. Was the second date worth it?

Reno sighed and stood, patting his jacket's pocket to make sure his cigarettes were in there. What the hell, he thought as he left his office for a smoking break.

He had nothing to lose.

That statement alone made him want to smoke an entire carton.


End file.
